Stand The Test Of Time
by Nightstar Fury
Summary: It was supposed to be one of the best nights of Hiccup Haddock's life with his girlfriend, Astrid Hofferson, of three years accepting his proposal for marriage; until she said no. Heartbroken, Hiccup decides to move on with his life while Astrid realizes too late that she made a mistake. What happens when the former lovers come face to face eight years later? Pairing; Hicstrid!
1. Chapter 1

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**Summary:** It was supposed to be one of the best nights of Hiccup Haddock's life with his girlfriend, Astrid Hofferson, of three years accepting his proposal for marriage; until she said no. Heartbroken, Hiccup decides to move on with his life while Astrid realizes too late that she made a mistake. What happens when the former lovers come face to face eight years later?

**1:**

_=Normal POV=  
[Monday, 6/30/2014-4:30 am]  
[Isle of Berk; Transport Center]_

A teenage male with auburn hair and green eyes sat in a chair by the window near his departure gate. The male looked around to see other males and females around his age, and likely all going to the same place as he. As far as the male understood; this gate was only for army recruits and he could see that there were about twenty-three others aside from himself. A ding alert got the male's attention as he listened.

"_**Passengers for Dragon Air flight 1066 to the mainland; we will now begin boarding at Gate A. Passengers for Dragon Air flight 1066 to Barbarchi Isle is now boarding at Gate A. Thank you," **_was announced by a male voice. As the male glanced over; he saw a male standing at the desk for the gate putting the phone down on the cradle. The man grabbed his backpack and stood up; he looked down at the photograph in his hand. It was of him and a girl who had blonde hair and blue eyes. The male stared a moment before tearing the picture in half, then half again before throwing it in the garbage as he moved on to the entry point with his ID and ticket in hand. "Good morning, sir,"

"Morning," the male responded. After checking his ticket and license; the worker smiled handing it back.

"Enjoy your flight, Mr. Haddock," the man opened the gate door as the teenager headed down the connecting ramp to the plane. The male gave a smile to the flight attendant and moved to his seat in the back of the plane. The male stowed his bag and above and took his seat, fastening his seatbelt. The male took a deep breath and laid his head on the side of the plane, looking out the window. At 4:45, after the initial take off announcements were given; the aircraft turned onto the runway and darted down, slowly lifting into the air and heading to the mainland; Barbarchi Isle.

_So long for now Berk…_ The auburn-haired male thought as he closed his eyes to try and relax through the flight.

**. . .**

_[6:10 am]  
[Mainland; Barbarchi Isle]_

After an hour and a half flight, the plane landed and pulled up to the gate. After just a few extra minutes; the passengers deboarded and made their way inside the Barbarchi International Airport terminal. The teenager took in right away way a bustling place this was. _Don't waste time, Hiccup._ The male thought as he looked around and followed where the rest of the recruits through the area until they got outside.

"Berk recruits?" asked a man in uniform.

"Yes, sir," replied one of the males in the group.

"When I call your name, get on the bus," the man ordered and began going down his list as everyone waited to be called on. After ten minutes; he was in the H's. "Haddock, Hiccup?"

"Here, sir," the young man replied. The soldier motioned his head for Hiccup to get on the bus, so he moved right along. Hiccup took his seat and looked out the window. Things seemed to drag on; Hiccup learned that there was an entire group of recruits from different islands heading for Reception Week, which was the pre-basic training segment that last anywhere from three to five days. Around 6:30 am, nearly twenty minutes since the plane landed; a male with red hair and green eyes approached where Hiccup was sitting.

"Mind if I sit with you, man?" the male inquired.

"Not at all, be my guest," Hiccup responded to him. The male slid in and sat down, relaxing for a moment before offering his hand with a smile.

"Name is Dagur Bazirk," the male, Dagur, introduced.

Hiccup set his hand in Dagur's shaking it a few times. "Hiccup Haddock," he replied.

"Good to meet ya," Dagur smiled.

"Same," Hiccup nodded.

"Did I catch your name right?" asked a male from the seat in front of Hiccup and Dagur. This male had blue eyes and semi-dark brown, short, curly hair.

"I'm sorry?" Hiccup questioned.

"You said your last name was Haddock? As in Mayor Haddock of Berk's son?" asked a second male who had brown hair and amber eyes.

"Uh, yeah; that's me," Hiccup responded calmly.

"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Thuggory Meatsen, Mayoress Meatsen's son," Thuggory smiled, reaching his arm over to shake Hiccup's hand, then Dagur's.

"Eret Trapp," the second male, now dubbed Eret, introduced, shaking hands with Hiccup, Dagur, and Thuggory.

"Recruits!" the soldier stepped on the bus. "We're heading right for Reception Battalion; I hope you all got a good night's sleep because there are no breaks until 9 pm tonight when the lights go out! When we arrive; you will abandon all bags here and form up outside on the white-painted foot prints you'll see on the ground. You will keep your hands at your sides; you will not speak unless spoken too. Is that understood?!"

"Sir, yes sir!" the boys and girls on the bus called back. The soldier sat down up front as the bus doors closed and the vehicle carrying a bunch of recruits pulled away from the sidewalk.

Thuggory, Hiccup, Eret, and Dagur looked at one another taking deep breaths. "Here we go," the four of them said together.

**. . .**

_[7:00 am]  
[Mainland; Archian Military Base]_

The ride had been silent as none of the recruits knew if they should dare talking. Hiccup felt it was a test to see if they could listen now since they wouldn't be doing any talking unless someone spoke to them. The buses parked as Hiccup took note of the white footprints they'd have to stand on after getting off the bus. The solider up front stood as the doors opened. "Off the bus recruits!" he ordered. Quickly and in an organized fashion, the passengers on the bus made their way off and each stood on the marked places. There had to be at least a hundred recruits that had been split up between four buses leaving the airport.

"Listen up, recruits," the man standing before them called as others were walking around and making sure everyone was in place. "When you walk through those doors; you're officially started Reception Week. It will last about three to four days as long as there is no delays in processing. Everything here will prepare your for Basic Training, so I advise you pay close attention and do exactly as you're told. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" the recruits yelled back. The man pushed the doors open as two others held them as the group was given the signal to move into the building, but staying in their rows. When everyone was inside; the door shut and every single one of them knew that from here on out it was schedules, orders, and seriously hard training to go from civilian to soldier.

**. . .**

_[8:00 am]  
[Isle of Berk; Haddock Residence]_

The silence of the house was broken by a woman's scream. Two sets of heavy steps were heard barreling down the stairs as two men broke into the room panting.

"Valka, for Odin's sake; it's eight in the morning!" the first man, with red hair and green eyes, bellowed.

"Stoick, easy…Val, what's going on?" the second male, with blue eyes and blond hair, stated. The woman had long autumn-colored hair and blue eyes that hand minor hints of green in them; she faced the two males with tears in his eyes and a piece of paper in her hand as her body shook with sadness, confusion, and concern.

"I-I came down here to check on Hiccup because he hasn't looked right since the night he graduated high school," Valka sniffled a bit. "But he's not here…" tears slipped down her cheeks. "His bed is all made up, a-and I found this on the pillow," she handed the paper to the one called Stoick.

"What does it say, Stoick?" the blond-haired male inquired.

"Gimme a second, Gobber," Stoick replied as he unfolded the sheet of paper and took a deep breath. "Dear Mom, Dad, and Uncle Gobber. By the time you gets this, please know that I'm not in the house, at a friend's place, or even on the island anymore. I've cleared my bank account, taken only what I need from my room, and turned my phone off; you'll find on my nightstand, along with my keys to the car. I caught a ride off the island, and I'm gonna be on my own for a while. I'm leaving no trail to find me because I want to be left alone, so I ask nicely that you please respect that. I need to be away from Berk for a while; the distance is necessary for me to deal with everything. I promise I'll tell you what's going on when I make contact, but for now…Please know that I'm okay, and I'll talk to you soon. Love, Hiccup," Stoick recited the note.

"My baby…" Valka sobbed as Stoick quickly pulled his wife into his arms.

"What happened? Why would he do something like this? To make such a drastic choice to up and leave…" Stoick sighed.

"I don't know, my old friends…But I'm sure we'll know soon enough," Gobber informed them. "Unfortunately; I think it's best if we leave him be for the time being,"

"What?!" the two Haddock parents exclaimed in shock and fear.

"Listen…Obviously something big came up with the lad, and he felt that some time away would be the best course of action. You know how Hiccup has been; he's not someone who runs with the crowd. Hiccup is different, and he always has been, likely always will be. While it seems confusing and worrisome…At least he left a note, and let us know he'd be in contact soon," Gobber stated.

"I still want to know, Gobber…It's not like something big to come up and Hiccup feels he can't come to us with a problem…" Valka closed her eyes.

"Maybe he feels that at eighteen years of age; he should be able to handle his problems," Stoick informed. "We'll give him some time and if we don't hear from him in a month…We'll start looking around and getting answers," Valka sighed, but nodded and agreed, so did Gobber.

**. . .**

_[8:30 am]  
[Isle of Berk; Hofferson Residence]_

A girl with blond hair and blue eyes sat on the edge of her bed looking through a photo album labeled; _Hiccup & _Astrid. The girl, Astrid, sighed heavily as she closed her eyes and closed the book, setting it aside. _I'm such an idiot…_ Astrid lowered her head as she thought back to two weeks ago when she panicked and said the wrong word when it wasn't what she meant.

**/Flashback/  
**_[Saturday, 6/15/2014-10:30 pm]_

_Hiccup and Astrid, boyfriend and girlfriend for three years as of today had just finished making love. Tonight marked their graduation from high school, and their three year anniversary of dating. Despite being eighteen, graduated, and in a relationship so long; Astrid's parents, Calder and Asvora Hofferson, said that Hiccup was allowed over but had to go home by 11:00 pm. Both sets of parents knew the teenagers were having sex, and ensured that Hiccup and Astrid were protected in their own way. Hiccup had condoms and Astrid was on birth control; the IUD that went in the vagina for five years. Hiccup and Astrid became sexually active at seventeen, during the summer before Senior Year. Stoick and Valka Haddock, Hiccup's parents, didn't care if Astrid stayed overnight with Hiccup at their house once both teens turned eighteen, and it hadn't been a school night._

_However, tonight; Colby and Ashlyn were out, so Astrid invited Hiccup over and let him know her parents said they'd be home for 11 pm. This meant Hiccup had to leave by 10:45 pm to avoid trouble. So, the two were now cleaning up and getting dressed after laying naked and cuddling after having sex for an hour. Hiccup had been over since 7:00 pm; they had dinner and watched a movie, which led into them making out, and then making love._

"_I'm glad you came over," Astrid smiled._

"_I'm glad you invited me," Hiccup responded. "Um…Astrid…There's something I wanted to talk to you about since we're alone," he stated a bit nervously._

"_What is it, babe?" Astrid looked into his eyes._

_Hiccup took her hand in his, his face becoming serious. "Astrid…You and I have been through everything together. I want you to know that you have me, no matter what. Okay? Whatever that means, whatever you want it to mean; I'm with you," Hiccup said as Astrid's eyes widened a little. "I told you back when we were just friends that there will always be a Hiccup and Astrid…You were my first friend, and my first love. Astrid…I want you to be my last," Hiccup reached into his pocket, pulling out a red heart-shaped box and opened it revealing a stunning silver three-stone engagement ring; there were two normal white diamonds on either side of a red heart-shaped diamond that sat in the middle. "We've been together for three years, and I've loved being your boyfriend…But I want more, Astrid. I want to be with you forever, however long I have left on this Earth…I want to spend it with you. Will you marry me?"_

_Astrid was speechless, so shocked and in disbelief that this was happening right now. Panicking with a million thoughts racing through her head; she backed up, releasing Hiccup's hand while shaking her head. "No," Astrid ran off to her room, closing the door behind her and locking it. Astrid panted, leaning against her door trying to figure out what just happened. Astrid's ears tuned into the sound of the front door opening and closing hard. The sound of Hiccup's car started up and drove off as Astrid crumbled to the ground, crying._

**/End Flashback/**

Astrid never heard from Hiccup after that night. No calls. No texts. Nothing at all. Astrid distanced herself for two weeks, trying to figure out how to fix this. Astrid realized now that she made a huge mistake in saying no. The problem was, Astrid didn't understand why she said it. And now; she'd figured it out. Astrid only got scared because it happened so out of the blue. Astrid loved Hiccup with her everything, but she panicked when the moment came that Hiccup proposed to her. Astrid had still wanted to go to college, have them get a place of their own; then marriage, and probably kids. Astrid panicked because she didn't think she was ready, but she realized after Hiccup left that she was more than ready to spend the rest of her life with Hiccup.

"I have to see him," Astrid put her fist in her hand. "It's only 8:30 am…Hiccup should still be home. I need to fix this…" she added while grabbing her purse, keys, and shoes. Astrid hurried outside to her blue 2014 Chevy Malibu and got inside. Astrid started the car, backed out, and headed right for the Haddock Household.

**. . .**

_[8:40 am]  
[Isle of Berk; Haddock Residence]_

Astrid pulled along the sidewalk, parking as turned off the car and headed for the door. However, Astrid noticed other cars she recognized; the ones of her friends. _Why are they all here?_ She asked. It didn't matter; she saw Hiccup's car, a black 2012 Hyundai Sonata. Astrid reached the door and knocked a few times. Stoick opened the door and offered a slight smile.

"Hello, Astrid. Please, come in," Stoick invited her. Astrid bowed her head in thanks, walking into the living room where she saw Valka, Gobber, and her five friends. Snotlout and Adelaide Jorgenson, both had dark brown hair and blue eyes; they could be twins if not for the fact they were a year apart in age. Fishlegs Ingerman, blond hair and green eyes. Finally, the actual twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorson; they both had long blonde hair and blue eyes. Tuffnut's hair was in dreads, Ruffnut's in braids; it was literally the only way to tell them apart sometimes.

"Where's Hiccup?" Astrid inquired.

"We were just about to call you to come, sweetheart," Valka said lightly, using a tissue to dab her eyes.

"What's…Happened? Is Hiccup alright?!" Astrid felt her concern rise.

"We wanted to tell all you kids at the same time…" Stoick sighed. "Hiccup is gone,"

"What?!" the six teenagers exclaimed.

"What do you mean, Uncle Stoick?" Adelaide asked instantly. Snotlout and Adelaide were Hiccup's cousins because their father, Spitelout Jorgenson, was Stoick's brother.

"This morning, Valka went to check on Hiccup because he's seems a bit distanced, distracted, and not himself the past two weeks since graduation; she found the bed made and Hiccup gone with a note on the pillow," Gobber informed.

"Now that you mention it; he has been really quiet," Fishlegs interjected with a finger up.

"We've been trying to get him to hang out with us, like we do every summer…" Snotlout mentioned.

"He always said he didn't feel good or was busy looking for a job," Ruffnut stated.

"Well, Hiccup's letter explains that he bailed and wasn't leaving a trail for anyone to follow him; that he needed to get away and by the time we got the letter; he wouldn't even be on Berk anymore. Hiccup left his car here, and turned his phone off," Stoick said.

"And that he'd get in contact soon, but requested we respect his wishes to be left alone because distance is necessary to deal with everything he has going on. None of which we know…" Valka sighed, looking down.

"Have…You heard anything, lass?" Gobber wondered. Astrid stood there, entirely shocked and worried that she might have really messed up and made the biggest mistake of her life two weeks ago. Astrid understood now; Hiccup wanted to get away from Berk because of her breaking his heart in her panic about thinking she wasn't ready when all she did was overthink everything.

Bringing her hands to her mouth; she wanted to cry. "Gods…It's all my fault…"

"What do you mean, Astrid?" Adelaide asked.

"Two weeks ago, the night of our graduation…Hiccup came over because my parents were out until 11…Right before he had to leave; he asked me to marry him and I freaked out with how sudden it was and told him no before running off to my room…" Astrid admitted.

"You…Told him no?" the friends, Hiccup's parents, and Gobber asked in shock.

"I-I didn't mean to. I…Over thought everything about getting married at eighteen, or I guess it would be a year later when we're nineteen…I just…Psyched myself out and panicked…I-I didn't mean to tell him no. It took me two weeks to figure everything out, why no came out instead of yes…And now he's left…And it's all my fault," Astrid lowered her head. "I broke his heart…"

Valka instantly got up to hug Astrid tightly. "Ssh, it's alright…It's okay. It was a misunderstanding…I-I'm sure when Hiccup gets in contact with us; we'll tell him the truth,"

"Absolutely," Stoick agreed.

"Just one problem," Gobber mentioned. "There's no telling where Hiccup is, when he'll come back, or when he'll even make contact,"


	2. Chapter 2

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**2.**

_=Hiccup's POV=  
[Saturday, 11/1/2014-1:00 pm]  
[Mainland; Archian Military Base]_

Despite the letter to my parents about making contact; I just haven't had the time with training for the army. Reception Week lasted three days, but we didn't move to Basic Training until two days later, and then started the next day. Reception was a whole lot of pre-training to know the basic lifestyle we all faced. Reception was filled with setting up your entire military file, an account for your money, getting your uniforms, haircuts, and making sure you could do the required exercises in a set amount of minutes. From Reception; we basically moved across the street to Fort Archia for Basic Combat Training, often just referred to as Basic. That was nine weeks of full training to learn everything we'd need to know; military history and laws, weapons, navigating, and the correct protocol for literally every type of situation we could possible encounter on the field. All in three phases, which were labeled by color; first was brown, second was black, and third was green. There was a family day and graduation from Basic, neither of which I took part in because my family didn't know where I was.

However, I did get to meet the families of Thuggory, Eret, and Dagur on family day. The four of us, who met on the bus to Reception, hit it off really well and have thus stuck together through all of training. Dagur and I were battle buddies, so were Thuggory and Eret. A battle buddy was basically your best friend for the rest of your military career unless something major happened to change that order, such as death being the only reason. Battle buddies are meant to help you stay on track through training, meaning that if you got in trouble; your buddy did too, or vice-versa. I learned Dagur has a sister, Heather; she is my age, about four months younger than me. I guess Heather's mother died giving birth to Heather, and then when Dagur was eighteen; their father passed away serving overseas.

Dagur took custody of Heather, and now that she was eighteen; he joined the army to be able to provide more. Heather takes care of their apartment, and works four days a week to pay for college. Dagur takes care of all the bills by automatic withdrawal from the bank. And he tends to send Heather about $200 a week, so she can go shopping for the apartment. I met Thuggory's parents, but learned they are divorced and have been since Thuggory was thirteen. It was nice to see that the had a civil relationship for the sake of their son, though. And Eret; I met his dad, but learned his mom died from breast cancer when he was fifteen. But yeah, that's how my family day went; spending it with the families of my new friends. I graduated basic at the rank of Private First Class; I guess I was top of the class, rather, my platoon.

That's how things worked in the military. When we moved to Fort Archia for training; we were placed in a Company; ours was just referred to as Alpha Company. This group of one hundred and forty-four, commanded by Captain Drago Bludvist, broke down into four Platoons. Viking Platoon, led by First Lieutenant Ryker Grimborn. Dragon Platoon, led by Viggo Grimborn. Sword Platoon, commanded by First Lieutenant Johann Traytor. And finally, Shield Platoon, led by First Lieutenant Krogan Hunters. Eret, Thuggory, Dagur, and I were on Dragon with Viggo. And yes, Ryker and Viggo Grimborn are brothers; Ryker being the older one by three years. I guess they joined together, or so we heard from Drill Sergeant Time, which was an hour where they could either flip the bunks upside down and make us clean it, or tell us stories about their time in the military.

Following Basic Training; we had a week to semi-relax while soldiers were shifted around depending on their MOS, or Military Occupation Specialty in order to have their Advanced Individual Training. What this meant was that Dagur, Eret, Thuggory, and I were all going out for Infantry; we are soldiers who fight on the front line of battles, in short. Anyone else doing Infantry would join us, but others went out for other things such as Medic, Communications, Engineering, etc. The training for Infantry is another four weeks, so all said and done for me from Reception to Advanced; I've spent fourteen weeks training, not including the one week break between Basic and Advanced. I graduated as a full Infantry Soldier for the United Islands of the Barbaric Archipelago Army on October 18th, 2014. And the next thing to happen was stationing orders. A lot of others have been moved to other islands, but I guess ours haven't been finalized yet, so we're just hanging on the base in our barracks. It's now November 1st, 2014, and we're still waiting.

I guess it's not so bad. Eret, Thuggory, Dagur and me have had a decent amount of time to just chat about our lives. I learned that Thuggory and I are the same age, sort of. Thuggory was born May 1st, 1996, so I'm about two months older, given my birthday is February 29th, 1996. My birthday gets celebrated on the last day of February, so if it's not a leap year; I turn a year older on the 28th. If it is a leap year; then the 29th. Anyway…Dagur is four years older than me; he's currently twenty-two and his birthday is March 1st, 1992. Also learned Heather, Dagur's little sister, is eighteen, born June 9th, 1996. And Eret; he's twenty-three, born December 26th, 1991. But despite the different ages; we're great friends who always have each other's backs. I did miss my friends back home, but when everything happened; I just wanted to get away to avoid everything that came with a break up of this magnitude.

I wanted off Berk, and I needed a major distraction. That wasn't to say I joined the army as a distraction; I'd always considered it when I hit high school. However, being in a relationship at the time, and knowing I wanted to marry Astrid; it didn't seem…Appropriate to join if I was going to settle down right away. Since all that blew up in my face; I decided that instead of sitting around being upset; I would go through with joining, so that's what got me where I am today. I still don't have a phone; I didn't feel the need to have one with training going on; we couldn't use them anyway, so seemed pointless. With training over now; I'd likely go out and get one when stationing orders were set. I also have my living situation to take into consideration depending on where we go. Yeah, I had money saved up, but the cost of living was different on every island in the Archipelago; there were eighteen of them including the mainland.

"Dude!" Eret burst in with Thuggory and Dagur. I pulled myself from my thoughts while laying on my cot and sat up.

"We missed ya at lunch," Dagur said with a smile.

"Sorry…I wasn't feeling well and decided to lay down. I told Lieutenant Grimborn; he said it was fine and to see the medic if I didn't feel better," I responded.

"Oh. Well, first off then; how ya feeling?" Thuggory chuckled.

"Bit better; laying down helped the headache. Iffy on the nausea, and still kind'a tired, but wasn't able to fall asleep," I informed.

"Well, stationing orders got announced over the meal. Rather, right at the end," Eret mentioned.

"Yeah? Where we going?" I wondered, hoping to Odin it wasn't the Isle of Berk. Yeah, it's been about five months since the break up with Astrid, but it still hurt and I wasn't ready to see her. Hell, I didn't believe we had anything left to say to one another. Her one word answer of _no_ and then running off told me all I needed to understand she didn't want to get married.

"Berserker Island," Dagur announced proudly. "My home island,"

"That's great," I smiled.

Thank the Gods! Berserker Island was ridiculously Southeast of the mainland; four hours away to be exact. This meant that Berk was five and a half. The farthest islands in all directions were Hunter Isle, North. Shivering Shores, East. Swallow Lands in the South and Bog-Burglar to the West. Well, more like Southwest. Straight out West were a bunch of smaller, uninhabited islands. The other islands were Caldera Cay and Visithug in the North. Peaceable and Outcast to the East. Meathead and Berserker were Southeast. Berk and the Swallow Lands to the South of the mainland. Hysteria to West. Bog-Burglar, and Lava-Lout to the Southwest. Bashem, Murderous Mountains, and Wingmaiden were Northwest. So the mainland was the absolute middle island of the other seventeen in the Archipelago.

I was gonna be a nice, safe distance from Berk for a bit. I knew stationing orders could change, but usually it wasn't very often that they did. The chance of deployment was one reason for a stationing change, and the others were just to do more work, or training. That's what Infantry soldiers did; we trained to be combat ready. Of course, there were odd and end jobs involving inventory, cleaning, and moving stuff around too. Not that I minded; I enjoyed staying busy.

"When are we going?" I inquired.

"In a rush to get off the base?" Thuggory chuckled.

"Thug, we've been here since the last day of June…" I gave him a bored look.

"Yeah, getting kind'a stir crazy here. Graduated or not; we still got rules to follow while on base," Eret nodded, agreeing with me.

"And dress in our uniforms. I'm with Hiccup; I'd prefer to be off base," Dagur agreed.

"Well, back to the rushing to get off base thing. It's only because I need to find housing; I know I can stay on the base if I chose to, but trying to get off it," I informed calmly.

"Eret and I are living on base; easier and cheaper," Thuggory shrugged.

"Well, off base, but still military housing. Like a dorm room," Eret clarified. "You should consider it, Hiccup. Even if it's just for a bit; they have single dorms,"

"But it's barrack based regulations subjected to once a month inspections, at random," Dagur reminded. "I'm with Hiccup; I'll take living in my apartment with Heather,"

"It's a lucky break we're stationing on Berserker, Dagur. What happens if we station on another island?" Thuggory wondered.

"Then we move; we're on a month-to-month lease and she does her classes online. The job she works is just fast food, and she really only does it to have pocket money; you know, ordering out, some shopping, gas in the car, etc. And get out of the apartment for a bit," Dagur shrugged. "Heather knew I was joining when she graduated; we pre-discussed the possibilities,"

"Smart," I smiled. "I'll probably find an apartment or something,"

"Eh, not likely in Berserker. Apartments are hard to come by this time of year because of all the newly graduated kids rooming with friends to avoid dorm rooms, people moving out of their family homes. Not to mention the cost of living is ridiculously high. I pay," Dagur paused, thinking about it. "$1,200, everything included. Pretty pricey, and got lucky in getting it when the original person couldn't come up with the money. I struggled to get the money for rent every month; that's another reason I joined the army…Better pay," he added.

"Damn. Guess I might have to do military housing," I mumbled.

"Hey…Wait…" Dagur said.

"What's up?" Eret arched a brow.

"I…Totally just remembered that Heather and I have a three-bedroom apartment. I forget we have it because we're using it as storage; we never really go in the room because its all the stuff from our parents' house. Dad died two years ago; we had to find an apartment once I got custody of Heather as her legal guardian. We couldn't afford the house, so we found the place we have now and just took what we wanted and donated the rest. Everything is in the third room! Hiccup, come live with me and Heather," he exclaimed.

My eyes widened a bit. "A-Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack, Hic. Come on! We get along great, and already share a bunk here in the barracks. We know we can coexist in the same space without problems between us. You get along great with my sister, and you need a place to go that isn't a hotel, motel, or military housing. Just…Lend a hand with the expenses?" Dagur chuckled.

"I feel like I owe a lot more to make up for the offer," I admitted.

"Nonsense. You're my battle buddy; it's my job to have your back in any and all situations. Besides, you're practically family to Heather and me. So come on, family doesn't leave ya hanging in your time of need. Let me help ya out. If ya wanna move out later on when you're in a relationship for a bit and about to get married; go for it. But for now, while you're single…Live with Heather and I," Dagur stated.

"Yeah…Let's not even bring that possibility up. I doubt it's gonna happen…" I muttered. "Ignore that. Anyway…You're not taking no for an answer, are you?" I asked.

"No," Dagur grinned.

"Well, seeing as I have no choice but to agree…Fine, I'll come live with you and Heather," I said.

"Great! I'll message Heather later and have her get started on the room, so it's ready when we get to Berserker. Pretty sure Bludvist said we'd be back the week of Thanksgiving," Dagur informed.

"I really appreciate this, Dag," I smiled some.

"Don't even mention it. I take it you're gonna need to go shopping when we get there? Once we take the stuff out of the room; it's literally bare except walls and closet," Dagur stated.

"I can have my parents ship me my stuff from home…Maybe even my car," I informed.

"Okay. I was about to say…You only came here with a backpack that had a couple pictures, your wallet, and like…Four sets of clothes," Dagur chuckled.

"Three sets, but seven days' worth of underwear and socks," I corrected. "I was told _only the essentials_ at the recruiter office, and the clothes we'd wear while here would be provided. That's what I did,"

"Forgive my intrusion, boys," came the calm voice of the platoon leader, Viggo Grimborn.

"Sir," we four stood, saluting him respectfully. Viggo returned the action and kept his arms behind his back.

"At ease, soldiers," Viggo informed as we relaxed on the command to do so. "I couldn't help but overhear the tail end of that conversation as I was coming in to check on Haddock; I may have an easier solution. Firstly, Private Haddock…How are you feeling?" he inquired.

"Still a bit nauseated and tired, but otherwise fine, Lieutenant Grimborn," I replied to him.

"Good, good. If it should worsen; see the medic," Viggo informed.

"Yes, sir," I nodded.

"Now, as for your situation with the upcoming move to Berserker Island. We'll assist in transporting belongings from another island. All you have to do is give a detailed list of what you want, or inform your parents to prepare it and we'll send a truck with helpers to get it loaded up and taken directly to wherever you'll be staying on Berserker. It'll be brought to Berk from your home, and then air transported to Berserker, and driven to you," Viggo stated.

"My car too?" I blinked.

"Certainly," Viggo nodded. "Just let us know if that's what you want to do and when. We can ensure it arrives around the time we do,"

"Uh, alright. Thanks, Lieutenant. Is…There a phone I can use? I sort of…Disconnected my number and left the device at home before coming here…" I sheepishly admitted.

"Forgive me prying here, but Hiccup…You never talk about your family, anything to do with Berk. As a matter of fact; it usually makes you mad. You only came here with a backpack of essentials, turned off your phone, disconnected your number, and left the phone behind…Did…Something happen to make you leave?" Eret wondered.

"Yes and no. I always wanted to join, but something sort of pushed the idea on the back burner. When that _something_ left; the opportunity returned, and I took it…And that's all I really wanna say about it right now," I said.

"Sounds like an ex situation," Thuggory shrugged. I flinched a little, looking off to the side.

"It sounds like you made an assumption and that we should leave it alone because Hiccup said he didn't want to talk about it," Dagur remarked. "It's cool, bro," he gave me a pat on the back, and rubbed the spot a bit. I offered a half smile to him, understanding that he was trying to divert the conversation. I never told anyone about the break up; just said I had graduated and wanted to join, so I did. I knew sooner or later; I'd have to tell them. These guys were my friends after all. I guess I just wasn't ready to talk about it yet; things still hurt.

"Back to the question asked," Viggo interrupted. "You may use the phone in my office. Would you like to do that now?"

"Uh…Maybe tomorrow, if that's alright? I think I'm gonna try to get some sleep, as long as I'm allowed?" I inquired.

"That's fine, Private," Viggo nodded. I nodded, a thanks to Viggo for understanding as I laid back down on my bed and pulled the covers up.

"We'll keep it quiet for you, Hic," Eret informed.

"Thanks. Talk to ya in a bit," I replied as I closed my eyes and prayed that sleep would take me.

**. . .**

_[Sunday, 11/2/2014-9:00 am]  
[Viggo's Office]_

I felt better by dinner, but didn't eat just to be on the safe side. The next morning came and I felt great. When breakfast was over, I sought Viggo to make the call home. I knew everything to expect from this call. Viggo showed me how to dial out, and left me a notepad to write information down on if I needed to. Viggo left, since his office was inside the barrack. I was told I had thirty minutes. Gods, I hadn't talked to anyone on Berk since I left on the 30th of June. Heck, I barely talked to anyone after the 15th when Astrid said no to marrying me. Here we are on the 2nd of November; it's been five months without any contact; I knew exactly how this was going to go. I took a deep breath as I pressed the key to dial out, and then to hide the number, and finally the house number. I held the phone to my ear as it started ringing. On the fifth; the call picked up.

"_Hello. Haddock Residence,"_ I hear the voice of my mother.

Here went everything. "Hi, Mom," I said.


	3. Chapter 3

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**3.**

_=Normal POV=  
[Sunday, 11/2/2014-9:00 am]  
[Isle of Berk; Haddock Residence]_

It had been a hard five months since Hiccup left without anything more than a letter left on his pillow. True to his word; he left no trace of himself, but then again; the family hadn't really looked because they learned from Astrid that an accident between her and Hiccup was likely the cause of Hiccup's sudden disappearance. Even if Astrid panicked and said the wrong thing; it took her two weeks to realize the mistake, and in that time; Hiccup dealt with the pain of being rejected, an assumed breakup, and then finally deciding to leave. A huge part of the problem is that Astrid admitted she knew she made a mistake right away, but took two weeks before coming to see Hiccup with the intention of talking about what happened. And in that time; Hiccup chose to leave, saying he needed to get away to deal with everything. Gobber was the one to remind Stoick and Valka that Hiccup was more than capable of taking care of himself; he had plenty of life skills and money saved up from work over the years.

It did set the Haddock parents at ease in the beginning, but after no contact at all for two months; the worry began to return. Every phone call that came through was filled with anxiousness and hope that it was Hiccup calling. The last five months of calls had been let downs because it was not Hiccup calling, and it was disheartening to Stoick and Valka; they just wanted to know if he was okay. Once a week, Snotlout would get updates from the Haddock parents, and he'd relay them to his friends. The house seemed empty and quiet without Hiccup there; Gobber, Stoick, and Valka could all agree on that. This morning was no different, waking up and knowing Hiccup wasn't in the house. The two parents and Gobber were sitting at the dining room table, eating breakfast when the phone rang. Valka sighed, getting up and moving to the phone that was on the edge of the counter.

Valka answered the call, setting it to her ear. "Hello. Haddock Residence," she greeted. There was a minor pause, and then suddenly tears began to well up in her eyes. "Hiccup! Oh, my baby!" she exclaimed. Stoick and Gobber were up instantly and on either side of her as she tapped the speakerphone button.

"_Y-Yes, it's me, Mom," _Hiccup said.

"Dad and Gobber are here with me too; you're on speaker," Valka sobbed.

"_I-I figured. Hi, Dad. Hi, Uncle Gobber…"_ Hiccup greeted lightly.

"Oh, son…It's so good to hear from you," Stoick said, trying to stay unemotional.

"Hi, laddie," Gobber replied.

"Where are you? Are you okay?!" Valka demanded with concern in her tone.

"We can get to that later! Why did you leave without a single word!" Stoick cut in.

"_I left a note…"_ Hiccup mumbled.

"It's no excuse, Hiccup…You left without a trace, and no contact for five months!" Stoick remarked.

"_Dad, if you're just gonna yell at me; I'm hanging up…"_ Hiccup sighed. Valka and Gobber glared at Stoick to shut up and watch his temper.

"I'm sorry, son…We've just been worried," Stoick apologized.

"_I know, and I'm sorry it's taken me so long to contact you. I was busy and didn't have access to a phone, and unfortunately, I have to make this quick because there is more work to be done preparing for the move," _Hiccup stated.

"What move, lad?" Gobber inquired.

"Where are you, sweetie? We know why you left…When are you coming back?" Valka asked.

"_Oh…Do you now?"_ Hiccup inquired.

"You and Astrid had a fight…" Stoick said. "I'm sure you two can work it out,"

Hiccup laughed a little coldly. _"Pfft, is that what she told you? Of course, making it seem like not such a big deal…Typical Astrid…"_ Hiccup remarked. _"Allow me to set the record straight then. I asked her to marry me and she said no, and then proceeded to run off to her room,"_

"But son, you don't understand…" Valka tried.

"_What is there to not understand, Mom?! We'd been friends forever; we dated for three years…And when I asked her to marry me, she said no and ran away. No explanations, no anything. Just a flat no and she got away from me as fast as she could. What more could I have done after pouring my heart out, and getting it crushed by rejection, except to accept it and leave?" _Hiccup explained.

"Hiccup, please! Astrid didn't mean to-," Valka attempted again.

"_Enough. I don't want to hear anything else about it, alright? I don't care what she didn't mean to do because she DID hurt me and in a way I didn't think she was ever capable of doing. Instead of fighting; I walked away on the assumption it was over. She didn't stop me from leaving her house; she didn't chase me as I drove away. There were no messages, no texts, no anything to make me think otherwise that she wanted to be with me still. I took a couple days to weigh my options on the matter, and decided that I was just gonna move on. And the easiest way was to leave, so that she and I don't have to talk or run into one another. Now, I called because I said I'd update you when I made contact, and as mentioned before…I don't have a lot of time to talk, so can you just leave the break up alone, please? I don't wanna talk to her, don't want to see her, I don't want to hear about her…I don't even want to hear her name because it still hurts. I just want to put it behind me, as intended when I decided to distance myself, and hope that one day…It won't bother me as much as it still does now,"_ Hiccup informed.

Stoick, Valka, and Gobber weren't sure what to say, but it was clear that despite knowing the truth about Astrid not meaning to say no; Hiccup was hurt by the fact Astrid didn't stop him from leaving her house that night. Hiccup was hurt that Astrid didn't give him any explanation. Hiccup was hurt that she just ran away from him. And sadly, the three adults couldn't disagree. Anything would have been better than leaving it as it was and giving Hiccup notion that she did.

"We understand, son," Stoick broke the silence. "Take as much time as you need to heal from things, and when you're ready…Everything will be just as you left it for when you come home,"

Hiccup sighed. _"That's…The reason I called…"_ he paused.

"Are you…Coming home now?" Gobber wondered.

"_No…Complete opposite actually. I'm not going to be coming home for a long time," _Hiccup said. Stoick, Valka, and Gobber were quiet again. _"I got a job back in June right after everything happened; it's…Another reason I left. The job I took; it's main branch is on the mainland. And this job moves it's employees around to where they are needed, and we stay until we're told to move again,"_ he continued.

"And…Where might you be going?" Valka questioned.

"_Berserker Island until further notice,"_ Hiccup replied. _"I'll be staying with a friend I made and his sister in their apartment since they have an extra room, and it was a cheaper option than getting my own place. I called to tell you all that, and let you know that next Friday, the 7__th__ at 10 am; a moving truck will be coming to the house to get my stuff out of my room. You don't have to pack it, just let them in and show them where it is. They will also be taking my car; everything is being transported to Berserker for me,"_

"Hiccup…I think you've left out a crucial detail…"Stoick mentioned and paused. _"What job did you take?"_

"_Are you sitting down? Because I don't want any of you losing your balance and falling after I tell you…"_ Hiccup said softly.

"Just tell us, lad," Gobber stated.

Hiccup took a deep breath. _"I joined the army,"_

The eyes of Gobber, Valka, and Stoick widened instantly. "You _what_?!" the three of them shouted in shock and disbelief.

**. . .**

_=Hiccup's POV=  
[Monday, 11/23/2014-11:30 am]  
[Berserker Island; Bazirk Apartment]_

I think if my parents and unofficial uncle had given me any other kind of response when I told them I joined the army; I might have been scared and asked what they'd done with my real parents and uncle. So, the reason I say unofficial uncle is because Gobber Forger is a good friend of my parents; he's my father's best friend, in fact. Despite my father and Gobber being five years apart in age; they are practically brothers. I guess the two of them met when Gobber ended up talking to my mom way back in the day. Anyway, Gobber is my Godfather and I've grown up knowing him as Uncle Gobber. My dad does have a brother, Spitelout Jorgenson, who is married to Freda Jorgenson, which is her maiden name. The two of them have two kids, Snotlout and Adelaide, who are my cousins. Dad also has five sisters; Brenda, Egginbreeza, Glugga, Burly, and Gladioli. Unfortunately, we never see or hear from them. Not sure why, but dad and Uncle Spitelout won't talk about it.

Also, fun fact; my parents are ten years apart in age. My dad just turned forty-nine on the 13th of this month, and my mom turned thirty-nine back in May on the 14th. I guess they met years ago when mom was sixteen and dad was twenty-six at some party one of my aunts was having and dad got stuck supervising. Mom and dad started taking and hit it off, so some time later; they started dating. When mom was nineteen; they married, and had me a year later when she was twenty. Here we are almost nineteen years later since my birthday is coming up at the end of February, which is three months away. Moving on…Yeah, so if my parents gave me any other kind of response; I might have panicked and wondered if they were okay. But no; they gave me exactly what I expected when I revealed the job I had.

I spent the rest of my thirty minutes that day telling them that I considered joining the military for a long time, but decided against it when things with Astrid were going so well. However, since all that blew up in my face; I decided to revisit the idea of becoming a soldier, and it took me all of two days to make that choice. On the 17th of June; I went to the recruiter office and started the process. After swearing in; I got my ship date for Reception and that happened to be the 30th of June where I took a taxi to the transportation center and then caught a plane at 4:45 in the morning to the mainland. I sort of left the story there due to lack of time; I reminded them before ending the call that I'd be on Berserker Island by the week of Thanksgiving, and that some people were coming to grab my stuff on the 7th of November at 10 am. I told them I didn't want Astrid knowing where I was or what I was doing. I promised Gobber and my folks that I'd get in contact again soon, likely once I got to Berserker Island and purchased a new phone; they offered to send the old one, but I declined.

We arrived on Berserker Island on Friday night around 5 pm; we had to stay on the base for a couple days to work out who was living off and on. Here we are on Monday morning as we just received the okay from Captain Bludvist that anyone living off base was free to go, and he'd see us again after thanksgiving was over on Monday the 1st of December to start working. It was going to be nice to have the week off; it would give me time to settle in at Dagur and Heather's, enjoy the holiday, and then a couple more days before reporting for duty. I was told by Viggo that my stuff had come in on Saturday, so when Dagur and I left base to get to his apartment; the moving truck with my stuff and car would follow.

"Here we are, Hiccup!" Dagur announced happily. I glanced out the window to see the apartment. "We're on the first floor and have neighbors on second and third floor," he added.

"Nice," I replied. We decided to take my car, since it was easier and already on the base.

"Just pull right in here," Dagur pointed to an extra open space in the middle. "The second floor doesn't have a car, so he never minds if we use his spot," I pulled in and parked. Heather saw us from the window and instantly rushed out to hug Dagur tightly.

"You're back!" Heather squealed as Dagur laughed and hugged her in return.

"I am," Dagur nodded as he put her down and she came over to hug me as I got out of the car.

"Hi, Heather," I greeted, hugging her back.

"I'm so glad you're both here!" Heather smiled wide. "Come in, come in! I'm just making lunch for us all," she informed.

"Easy, sis. We gotta unpack the truck so that these guys can take it back to base," Dagur chuckled some.

"Well, I can help with that! The soup is still cooking; it's got another hour yet," Heather said.

"We packed everything so that your big furniture would be first out," stated one of the truck drivers.

"Thanks; you get everything on the list?" I wondered.

"Absolutely, and even some stuff your parents said you'd likely want. They insisted we take it," replied another male who had been in the truck.

"Of course they did…" I sighed. "Oh well," I shrugged afterward.

"Well, let's get this going, Hic. Welcome to your new home!" Dagur hung his arm around my shoulders.

"I got him a key made, and took care of things with the landlords," Heather informed.

"Thanks a bunch, sis," Dagur responded.

"We'll start unloading stuff," said one of the soldiers who was at the back of the truck.

"I'll supervise. Heather, why don't you take Hiccup inside and give him a quick tour?" Dagur suggested.

"Okay!" Heather nodded as she grabbed my hand and yanked me inside of the apartment. "Alright, so this is main entrance through this door; that second door over there leads to the stairs for second and third floor, so you don't have to worry about it. Just over here and to the right is the kitchen; then you got the dining room next to that and the living room across from both. There's also a patio and small bit of yard. In here," Heather brought me into the kitchen to another door. "Is the laundry room. Uh…" she paused, pulling me past the living room and dining room revealing three doors at the back of the apartment. "The door to your right is to Dagur's room, the one on the left is to mine. And this one in the middle is the bathroom,"

"Awesome," I smiled. "What's this door?" I asked, pointing to one in the dining room.

"That's just a storage closet," Heather informed. "Oh, your room! This way," she practically dragged me along with her. "It's right here, across from the kitchen. This door leads to your room," she mentioned. "And the best part is that this is the master bedroom, so extra space,"

"Oh, I don't want to take the master," I said quickly.

"Hiccup, don't worry about it. Like I said; Heather and I never used it. We don't like a lot of space," Dagur stated. "We were using it as a closet," he laughed. "Besides, it works for you being our roommate," he added. "You get the big closet, and your own bathroom. It's like having your own mini apartment inside of the main apartment,"

"A-Are you sure?" I asked.

"It's fine!" Dagur and Heather both yelled at me now and then laughed.

"Okay, okay," I put my hands up in defense.

"Good," Heather giggled. "Now, let's start moving your stuff in. Arrange it however you like," I nodded, unable to fight them on this. Besides, after seeing the layout of the room; I had some design ideas forming on how I wanted it. Dagur, Heather, and I went back outside and started bringing in the big stuff. Dagur and I mainly did that with help from those who drove the truck over. Heather brought in boxes and set them in places that wouldn't be in the way. Hopefully, this wouldn't take too long because I was hungry, needed a shower, and some sleep.

**. . .**

_[9:00 pm]_

Between Dagur, Heather, the four helpers from the military, and me; we spent an hour getting everything out of the moving truck and into my room. We took care of the big pieces first, like the bed, desk, and dresser and set them up according to wherever I wanted it. After that; we got the other things into the apartment and just set up around the room before having lunch. It was homemade creamy clam chowder. Heather had made enough for everyone, so we all enjoyed it. The military guys left after we did a final check to make sure we got everything and then I got started with the rest of my room. I noticed my parents did take it upon themselves to pack my clothes and electronics into boxes for me; I guess it was nice and made it easier to organize things.

With Dagur's help we got the bed and desk set up; Heather took it upon herself to put all the drawers in the dresser and two nightstands. Heather set up easy stuff, and moved boxes with things that went into a particular place. Hell, I was surprised that my parents sent my mini-fridge, Keurig, microwave, and snack bar. I guess when I said the movers were coming to collect my room, my parents made sure they took everything in my basement room. I told my parents that I likely wouldn't be back to Berk for a long time, and even when I did; it would be for visits, or if I stationed there; I'd get my own apartment or live on base. Either way; they told me they accepted and supported my decision, also that they loved me.

When all the big pieces in my new room were set up; I moved on to the smaller stuff and started with setting up my fridge, coffee maker, and microwave on the snack bar. Next I got all my clothes put away in the drawers; I hung the nice stuff in the closet, and all my jackets. I made sure to hang my military stuff too; there were a lot of different uniforms we had for various events. After that, I set up my TV and gaming systems. Heather was kind enough to make my bed for me. Once all that was taken care of; we decided to head out to the store to get more food in it, and I grabbed basic essentials for the bathroom and shower. I also finally got a new phone and activated it. Getting back to the apartment; we put all the groceries away and I got back to work on my bedroom. I started setting up pictures, chargers, and what not. Then I took care of my bathroom; a couple towels, soap, body wash, shampoo + conditioner, razor, brush, comb, toothbrush, toothpaste, and deodorant.

I got done with everything fully around 7 pm; then took a hot shower. I shaved, threw on a t-shirt and pajama pants before heading out of my room to join Heather and Dagur for dinner; we had spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread. After dinner, I helped clean up and then we all sat down to figure out the financial agreement of me living here with them. Basically; I was going to pay a portion for rent, food, and bills. I paid my own insurance, and phone bill. My portion of the rent was $300, my phone and car stuff equaled about, $110. Then for electricity and food; we agreed a fair, flat rate of $200. So, all together; I paid $610. I told them if they ever needed more, to let me know. I owed Heather and Dagur a lot for letting me live with them while we were stationed on Berserker Island. Once all that was settled; I decided to get to my room and have an early night. I laid in my bed, doing a bit more to set up my phone before setting it to charge and finally closing my eyes to get some sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**4.**

_=Astrid's POV=  
[Friday, 1/9/2015-12:30 pm]  
[Isle of Berk; Berkbees]_

I was such a fool. I say it to myself at least twice a day now since the breakup. I wasn't sure what else to call it; that's what happened because of my foolish mistake last year in June when Hiccup proposed to me on our three-year anniversary of dating, and I stupidly said no because I panicked about being married so young. Of course; it didn't matter once I'd calmed down. Sadly, though; I was too late to fix things with Hiccup. When I finally processed things, and relaxed…I went to talk to Hiccup and found out from his parents that he'd left and asked to be left alone. I've waited and waited, but as far as I know Hiccup hasn't made contact and hasn't returned home since June 30th when he left very early in the morning. It's now January, officially seven months and I hate it. I love Hiccup with my everything; all I wanted was a chance to explain, apologize, and beg him to give me another chance so that we could fix things. It didn't seem like my hope would be realized any time soon.

Thanksgiving and Snoggletog were average with family, and lonely for me to not see Hiccup. We always found a way to see one another on the major holidays, but not this time. I checked in with his parents once a week, praying to hear anything at all regarding Hiccup. Unfortunately; that wasn't the case. I was worried about Hiccup, how can he disappear like this for seven months? What if he wasn't alright? I could fix all of this with just one chance to speak with him, and we could go back to being together, happy…And eventually married; then starting a family. The more I thought about it, realizing that engagement was the next step in the process; the more I wanted that life with Hiccup. I didn't care that I would be in college, or how young it would happen. I just wanted a life with Hiccup.

I started college in September; I'm living at home attending Berkian University for Veterinarian. I'm a licensed CNA now; I took night courses through the Berk High School's Adult Education program starting in September; it took twelve weeks to be certified, and then we got to take the licensing exam right at the school. I passed, so now I'm working as a CNA and going to school to be a Vet. I usually work part-time and at night to open up my day for college. I'm glad mom and dad are letting me live at home still; makes things a bit easier for me. All my friends are doing too; they've started with their lives after high school, only one of them is in college like me. Fishlegs attends the same university as me; he's going out for Vet as well. Snotlout is working in a gym, and the twins are working in their family business of design; both interior and exterior.

Snotlout's little sister, Adelaide, is still in school high school until June this year when she'd graduate and then believe follow her plan to become a lawyer, or maybe it was cosmetologist? I honestly forget. I can't believe how the time has flown; where we all are right now seven months later. My friends and I tried to meet up once or twice a month just to catch up with one another; today was one of those days. We decided to all meet at a local restaurant, Berkbees, for lunch. I had already arrived with Fishlegs; the twins and Snotlout just pulled in and parked. I knew Adelaide wasn't coming because she couldn't leave school grounds, but we promised to set the next hangout on a Saturday or Sunday so she could come too.

"Hey, hey," Snotlout greeted, walking up with Ruffnut and Tuffnut.

"Hey, guys," Fishlegs waved.

"Good to see you again," I smiled softly.

"Yeah, it's been a while. Last time we hung out was…What?" Ruffnut asked.

"Probably just after Snoggletog, or maybe before," Tuffnut agreed with his slightly older sister. Yes, twins they were, but Ruffnut was born first by three minutes.

"Well, let's get inside," Snotlout ushered us. We moved inside the restaurant, and were seated at a back corner booth. We received our menus and then gave our drink orders before the man walked away to fill them. I'm sure he was just the host, but helping out whoever would be serving us. As some of us were pressed for time; we decided to skip appetizers and go right to the main course. After the drinks came a few minutes later; we placed our food order and the waitress took our menus before heading off to put the order in.

"So, how has everyone been?" Fishlegs asked.

"Good, staying busy," Tuffnut shrugged.

"Mom and dad don't let us do a lot in the business yet, mainly computer stuff," Ruffnut added in.

"You'll get there, though. They eventually want you to take over, right?" I inquired.

"That's the idea," Ruffnut nodded. "We're being trained still,"

"How about you, Snotlout?" I wondered.

"Working as well. Basically cleaning equipment, some sales here and there, offering to be a spotter to someone who came solo," Snotlout mentioned.

"Work is work," Fishlegs reminded.

"Yeah…I know," Snotlout sighed. "How about you, Fishy? How's college life?"

"Same as high school, just more spread out classes," Fishlegs stated. "Easier to live at home, that's for sure,"

"With you there," I chimed in.

"Find work yet?" Ruffnut inquired.

"Applied here and there, but nothing so far. Parents don't mind, but I told them I want something to start putting away money for after college," Fishlegs smiled.

"Smart move," Tuffnut nodded. "How about you, Astrid?"

"Working as a CNA and going to school still," I replied, looking down at my phone screen and seeing the picture of Hiccup and I when we had gotten together at fifteen. It was June 15th, 2011-Freshman Year of high school at the end of year dance. I guess it was sort of like prom, but not called that and not as much time or planning went into it. Hiccup and I agreed to go as friends, but left as boyfriend and girlfriend. Somehow, the nervous fool, summoned up the courage to ask me out before the night was over, and I accepted. It's still one of my happiest moments with him.

"Astrid…" Snotlout said in a relaxed, maybe even, sympathetic tone. "I know it usually not my style to get all serious, but…I think it's time you…Move on from Hiccup,"

My eyes widened a bit. "Why would you say that? Snotlout, I love him!" I said quickly.

"I'm not saying you don't, but-," Snotlout tried.

"It's been seven months…" Fishlegs joined in now.

"So what," I remarked. "Look guys…I already messed up once. I'm not gonna risk it again by…Moving on from him when he's gonna come back soon and-," I began.

"Astrid! He isn't coming back!" Snotlout said loudly as I froze at the words.

"Wh-What?" I asked in shock. Snotlout sighed and looked down. "Wh-Why would you say that? Wh-What do you mean he's not coming back? How do you know that?" I asked quickly.

"I know that because Hiccup said it himself…To his parents and Gobber," Snotlout informed.

"Hiccup…Made contact?" I felt my hopes rise a bit.

"Hiccup called them back in November," Snotlout stated calmly.

"B-But I ask them once a week since his disappearance if Hiccup called and they say he hasn't," I responded instantly.

"Hiccup told them not to tell you, Astrid," Ruffnut jumped in. "We all know Hiccup made contact; you weren't supposed to know,"

"Look, Astrid…" Snotlout faced me now. "Hiccup isn't coming back for a long time. Alright? When he called in November, according to Aunt Val and Uncle Stoick, Hiccup only let them know he was alright, found a job, and was sending for his stuff because he wasn't coming home for a long while,"

"B-But didn't they tell Hiccup that everything between he and I was a-," I started.

"They did, Ast…But Hiccup told them he didn't want to hear it," Fishlegs frowned. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Hiccup said it didn't matter if it was a misunderstanding or not; you told him no and ran off. Hiccup felt his only choice was to accept your response and leave you alone as you seemingly wanted to be," Snotlout continued. "Hiccup made it clear he doesn't want to hear anything about what happened, Astrid. Hiccup was hurt by it all, so he chose to distance himself to get over it. He wants to put it behind him; that's why he left Berk. Hiccup mentioned he got a job that pays good and keeps him super busy,"

"Where is he? I'll go talk to him myself," I demanded.

"Astrid…We don't know where he is right now. The job he has requires a lot of traveling, so he isn't even in the place he was before. As far as we understand; he was on the mainland, from June to November, but said he'd be leaving again soon. Hiccup travels all over the world Astrid, and that's because he requested it be that way. Always busy, always traveling…Always on the move. And he barely makes contact," Snotlout informed firmly.

"Yeah, Stoick and Valka said that Hiccup only calls once or twice a month from a restricted number. And the conversation never lasts more than five minutes; he just lets them know he's okay and hopes everything back home is too. But when he called in November; he said out right he wasn't coming back for a long time and needed his stuff from his bedroom," Ruffnut added.

"Astrid," Fishlegs put his hand on mine gently. "Hiccup left to get over you and move on with his life,"

"N-No…He wouldn't just…Throw us away like that!" I shook my head.

"We're telling you the truth," Tuffnut mentioned.

"Call Stoick and Valka yourself and ask; they'll tell you exactly what he said…" Snotlout stated. I grabbed my phone and dialed Valka, knowing she would be at home. I put it on speakerphone too.

"_Haddock Residence,"_ Valka answered.

"H-Hi, Mrs. Haddock…It's Astrid," I said.

"_Hello, dear. How are you today?"_ Valka replied.

"I, uh, I'm kind of confused. I'm out to lunch with the others, a-and Snotlout said that…Hiccup made contact two months ago, saying he wasn't coming home for a long time…" I repeated as I'd heard things from my friends.

There was a sigh on Valka's end. _"I'm afraid it's true, Astrid. We're sorry we didn't tell you, but that's how Hiccup wanted it, sweetheart,"_

"I-I understand that, b-but what's all this that he said he…Wanted to move on?" I asked nervously.

"_We tried to tell him, Astrid,"_ came Stoick's voice. _"We tried multiple times to tell him it was a misunderstanding, but he refused to hear it. Hiccup said that after it happened; he took a couple days to weigh his options, and decided that leaving was the best course of action. Hiccup said he accepted what happened, and was going to put it behind him and move on with his life. Also added in that he didn't want to talk to or see you; he didn't want to hear about you or what happened. And…He said he didn't even want to hear your name. Hiccup just wanted it to be left alone and hope that one day; it wouldn't hurt him as much as it did the day it happened,"_

I couldn't believe this; the shock, and pain was overwhelming. "W-Where is he now?" I forced myself to ask.

"_We don't know. The last time we heard from him was on Snoggletog; he called for a minute or two just to wish us a happy holiday. We asked what his plans were and he said spending it with his roommates on Berserker Island," _Valka stated.

"So he's on Berserker?" I asked.

"_Likely not anymore; I think that's just where his stuff is. Hiccup said he'd be traveling again when the holiday was over and we might not hear from him often_," Gobber spoke up.

"_Not that we hear from him a lot now anyway," _Stoick muttered. _"But…Astrid; the point is…Hiccup doesn't plan on returning for a long time. Honestly, I think he took this job to avoid coming back at all costs. He…Made it very clear he wanted to get over what happened and move on in his life. I…Hope that a day comes where it can change; he'll come back and you two can talk about things, but for now…"_ he trailed off.

"No…No; it's okay. I understand, Mr. Haddock. For now; I should probably just…Focus on my life, right?" Astrid sighed.

"_It…Would be for the best, Astrid,"_ Valka said lightly.

I closed my eyes. "Okay…Thanks for telling me," I said before ending the call and putting my phone away.

"We tried to tell you, Ast…" Fishlegs said gently.

"I know, Fishlegs…It just hurts. I knew Hiccup had to be upset, but to just…Take off and plan on not coming back over it all..." I trailed off.

"We know. It doesn't seem like something Hiccup would do, but…Maybe he felt that just a small vacation wouldn't be enough?" Ruffnut offered.

"No, not that. The fact we didn't even talk before he decided to just leave. It's like…No closure, nothing. Just gone," I stated.

"Well, maybe a day will come where you two will see one another again and get to have that talk. And whatever happens…Happens. There's no telling right now, so it's best not to put your life on hold for Hiccup…He's not stopping his for you," Snotlout put a hand on my shoulder.

I took a deep breath as the food arrived. Once we had our dishes; I knew what I had to do. "I'm gonna take some time to focus on school and…Accepting what is. And then wherever things go from there; I guess I'll just go with it,"

"Hey, we're right here for ya," Tuffnut reminded. "You ain't the only one who wants to see Hiccup again; we all got something to say to him about taking off,"

"Yeah…No warning, no contact, nothing…We got abandoned too," Snotlout huffed.

I tried to smile a bit, but despite what I said; it still hurt. I didn't think Hiccup would be so willing to just leave and find away to not have to come back. I get needing time away after I said no, even if I said it by mistake in a moment of panic. But to stay away, get a job where you're never in one place for long? Not contacting your old friends? Not even contacting your family except more than once or twice a month? What kind of job did he have? Just some big…Corporate kind? Was he a promoter, the kind of worker always going on business trips to promote product? Maybe designer? Hiccup was always good with that kind of thing. I honestly didn't know. Hiccup never talked about what he wanted to do when he graduated. That's why I wondered why kind of job did he have that had him constantly busy and always traveling around.

I suppose there wasn't anything more I could do. Hiccup apparently went to the mainland from June to November, then onto Berserker. Who knew now? None of us had a way to contact him, so what was I supposed to do? My friends were right…Even Stoick and Valka told me the same thing. Hiccup made his choice to move on, perhaps rushed and not well thought out because of being upset. I couldn't wait around for him as much as I wanted to. If I had a guarantee he'd be coming back; I would wait. But there was no telling in this situation, so it was best for me to focus on me and move on with my life too. I prayed a day would come where Hiccup and I could meet face to face again; even if we didn't fix things between us. I looked at my food, and began to eat. My friends and I started picking up in other conversations again, catching up with other aspects of life.

Despite my decision to move on with my life; I knew I'd always care about Hiccup. We were friends before we were lovers, and Hiccup was my first love. I'd never forget him, and I'd always probably love him. Part of me at least. I wasn't sure what the future had in store for me; I always thought it would be Hiccup and I sharing our lives together. I guess that has changed, and I can't let a change in things stop me. I have school to focus on, and my job. Maybe if Hiccup came back; we could at least clear the air and try to be friends again, if nothing else, right? I had to hold onto some hope that even if our relationship was over; we wouldn't lose the friendship that brought us together. No matter what I did or where I went; Hiccup would always have a special place in my heart and life.


	5. Chapter 5

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**5.**

_=Hiccup's POV=  
[Friday, 5/15/2015-8:00 am]  
[Berserker Island; Berserk Military Base]_

It's been an interesting time living with Heather and Dagur, but enjoyable, nevertheless. We have fun together, that's for sure. As more gratitude for them letting me rent their master room with my own bathroom; I cooked all of Thanksgiving dinner for them. I bought all the ingredients and made everything from dinner to dessert. It was a lot of food, so we also invited over Thuggory and Eret to join us. Thanksgiving was amazing, and though I wasn't with my family for it; I was happy to spend it with my second family. I called my family, of course; wished them a Happy Thanksgiving and maybe I'd be able to get some leave time to come see them soon. My parents and Gobber hoped for it to be Snoggletog, our annual holiday. Everywhere else around the world called it Christmas, but us Archipelago residents kept the old name set by the Vikings from long, long ago. I did spend Snoggletog with my friends again; we're kind of all we had on Berserker Island. We exchanged presents, enjoyed a nice meal together. Heather and I both cooked this time, Dagur cleaned it up, Eret and Thuggory brought store-bought desserts. We had a good time hanging out.

The New Year's celebration we threw at the apartment was phenomenal. Dagur and Eret grabbed alcoholic beverages and we all got drunk together. Yeah, technically against the law because Thuggory, Heather, and I weren't twenty-one, but we kept it controlled and inside the apartment. It's not like we got hammered either; drunk enough to basically have a good time without being foolish or stupid. Odin only knows what kind of trouble we could have ended up in if the cops got called to a noise complaint and learned three minors were drinking and was given said alcohol by two adults. Heck, we still get together and drink at the apartment sometimes; it's not all the time, but now and then to wind down and have some laughs. It's also usually just beer, maybe a shot or two. Eret and Dagur have both made it a big deal with Heather, Thuggory, and me turn twenty-one finally. All I keep hearing is the rite of passage and one crazy night. I'm starting to get concerned, but I'll likely enjoy it.

Oh, I turned nineteen, speaking of turning a new age. My birthday passed, I'm officially nineteen-years-old now. We're all actually older now, except Heather; her birthday is coming in June. But Eret turned twenty-four in December. Dagur turned twenty-three in March. And Thuggory just turned nineteen fourteen days ago on the 1st of May. Things have been great, and I like that I'm feeling better. I love what the life of being a soldier offers me; I like that I'm adventuring off Berk and seeing everything I am. I love my job, and the friends I've made. Does it mean I've forgotten everyone back home? Not at all. I missed my family, and the few friends I had there. Sadly…I still missed Astrid. I knew I could call her up and maybe we could clear the air between us; I suppose it wasn't right of me to just up and leave her. It made me no different than her saying no and walking away from me. I knew I was a dick for it too, and I hated how it felt.

Honestly; it was probably better this way. Astrid and I would only end up fighting; I didn't want that. The distance was better to deal with everything, and perhaps one day we'd see one another again, way later down in the future. I wished her all the best, and hoped she'd be happy. I'm sure she'd want the same for me. I didn't hate her; and she'd always have a special place in my life and heart.

"Private Haddock!" I snapped from my thoughts about my ex-girlfriend and saw my commanding officer of the platoon, Viggo, standing next to me. "Is there something else that has your attention you'd like to share with the company?"

"Sir, no sir," I replied instantly.

"Then perhaps bring your attention to Captain Bludvist who has an announcement to make," Viggo remarked firmly.

"Yes, sir," I responded respectfully. Gods, how could I have gotten so distracted during Drill Weekend? It was three days, Friday at 5 am to Sunday at 5 pm. Typically, it was all training to stay combat ready. Unfortunately; we were doing ours two weeks late because something came up to postpone the original date, which was the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd of May. So far, we hadn't been told what the delay was all about; I guess we'd be finding out now because Captain Drago Bludvist doesn't typically address the entire company unless it's something big.

"First off; I'd like to apologize for the craziness. Secondly…" Drago paused as suddenly, we all got nervous. "The reason for the postponing is because we received a mobilization alert from the main base," Drago stated. Mobilization meant possible Deployment. "We're shipping out, soldiers," Drago announced. We stayed silent, wanting to hear everything. "You'll receive the official details from your platoon commanders, but we are going to Syria for one year in June," Odin above…A one-year deployment to Syria? I mean, I knew it could happen and expected it sooner or later; the news still hits you like a freight train. "Your platoon leaders will continue the briefing, and then once that has been settled; we'll move into the second phase," Drago stated. "Dismissed, soldiers,"

"Dragon Platoon, head for your barrack. Males and females can form up into just one of them for now," Viggo commanded.

"Sir, yes sir!" those of us in Dragon Platoon replied. Not that it mattered because the other three platoons were receiving the same orders by Ryker, Johann, and Krogan. With the permission to get moving; we all headed for the barracks, four of them for Alpha Company. Two for the girls, two for the boys because it didn't matter if our platoons mixed or not. We'd separate when called to do so for training or anything for that matter.

Reaching the barracks, we grouped up with Viking Platoon; it made sense since Viggo and Ryker were brothers and always had our platoons doing the same things. We all found a spot to stand as Ryker and Viggo came in. "Have a seat," Ryker stated. We relaxed and sat down on either trunks or beds, but some remained standing just because they wanted to. "Your lead, little brother,"

"Not the time for jokes, Ryker," Viggo reminded. "As told by Captain Bludvist; we're deploying to Syria in June," he started as we all paid very close attention. I definitely couldn't afford to miss this information.

"We'll be basing at Camp Draconian in Aleppo; it's a main operating base," Ryker added in.

"We'll be taking off from this base at 0500 hours," Viggo stated. 0500, that was five in the morning. "You need to be here for 0400; we'll be doing a quick headcount and then boarding the C-130 to get to Syria. It'll be a five-hour flight, and upon landing; the time will be two hours ahead the Archipelago," he added calmly.

Eret put his hand up as Viggo nodded to him to go ahead. "When are we leaving in June?"

"Sunday, the 28th," Ryker stated.

I put my hand up this time as Viggo gave me the nod to speak. "What is the housing like?" I wondered.

"Barracks" Viggo replied.

"I think he means, like, what is the base like? Do we get beds like here, cots? We're looking for more of a description of what life on deployment looks like," Dagur said boldly.

"You will be residing in barracks, like here. The barracks are tents that will hold cots to sleep on; you'll also get a nightstand crate, and stand-up locker. Use of the restrooms are in the form of three or four porta-potties outside the barrack, or you'll find them all around base. The barracks sleep about a platoon of forty people, and to save space; the girls and boys will share," Viggo said.

"What?!" screeched one of the girls.

"You'll be in a separated part of the barrack with a door; I did not mean you girls would be sleeping in the same area as the boys. You'll be in the same barrack, but there will be a cut off section to accommodate the females in a platoon," Ryker informed. "And you'll have a secondary point of entry, so that you don't have to walk through the boy's section to get out,"

A lot of the girls sighed in relief. I guess I could understand; that would be pretty awkward. We had roughly eight girls in the Dragon Platoon; the rest were males. The girls didn't so much serve the purpose of combat battle as they did being medics, drivers, or radio operators. While they still wielded guns if necessary; they were more…Support, and were fine with that too. If things got heavy; the girls were more than allowed to jump in on command to do so.

"Also, while deployed; we're near the heart of the base…Mess Hall, Medical Tent, Support Infirmary, Main Hospital…Even some fast food trucks," Viggo added in. "It's not gonna be luxury, but you'll have what you need in a slightly less modernized fashion,"

"Is there air conditioning and heat, depending on the weather? I've heard Syria gets hot and cold. And we're from here…Where it usually doesn't get higher than fifty degrees in the summer," Thuggory questioned.

"You are correct, Private Meatsen. From the months of June to September; it's hot with an average temperature of ninety-five. Maybe higher. And the winter is from November to May; it can range, but reach temperatures like here," Viggo replied.

"Are we doing the same kind of work we do here if not in battle or on a mission?" asked another male.

"Likely. If not engaged in a battle or mission; you'll be given assignments to do around base or more training," Ryker mentioned.

"What happens now that you told us? Bludvist said there was a phase two?" inquired one of the females.

"Phase two is that we prepare you for war life. Evaluations, pre-deployment training, so on and so forth. You're permitted to tell your families about the deployment. However, after we arrive; what you tell them regarding deployment will be limited to what we allow you to say. I'm sure you understand why?" Viggo informed.

"Security reasons," I remarked.

"Yes," Ryker and Viggo nodded.

"And returning from war next year; that is also expected we don't talk about certain things?" Dagur asked.

"Correct," Viggo said.

"Can we…Take pictures and videos?" Eret wondered.

"Yes, as long as it's nothing combat-related," Ryker remarked.

"Are we getting right into things when we arrive?" inquired another female.

"You'll be given a week to settle into your barracks, learn the layout of the base; basically to adjust to the new life," Ryker assured. "After that; we'll begin assigning duties,"

"Expect simple things at the beginning; patrols, guards, etc.," Viggo nodded.

"What's all this pre-deployment stuff?" Dagur asked lightly.

"It's training, Private Bazirk. Exercising, shooting, evaluations, different war scenarios," Ryker informed.

"Oh, so intense basic all over again for the next month?" I chuckled with a few others.

"Yes, just more situated to war life, not so much combat where you learned all your skills," Ryker nodded.

"Do we have to stay here like it was in basic?" Thuggory wondered.

"No, you a permitted to return home at night unless directed others due to night training," Viggo assured.

"Thank Odin…I'm gonna have to tell my sister about this right away," Dagur sighed some. "Are we coming back to Berserker after the tour?"

"That hasn't been decided yet, but once we have that information; you'll be told," Ryker stated.

"Alright," Dagur nodded.

"When do we get leave?" Eret questioned.

"You aren't eligible until after six months on tour. You can take a full two weeks once, or a one-week leave twice; separate times," Ryker stated. "If you choose to do the one-week twice option; you're eligible after four months, and then again after eight months," he clarified.

"It should also be known that your time starts when you land back in the Archipelago, and that we do our best to accommodate everyone going home for the dates they request, but there are absolutely no guarantees. You stand a better chance of putting in for it as soon as you're eligible, and understand that we can't send too many of you at one time," Viggo informed calmly.

I'd definitely need to make note of that information. Being deployed; I absolutely needed to tell my family, didn't I? I know it was the right thing to do. I feel bad that I don't make a lot of contact as it is, maybe once or twice a month. I do my best too, but being active duty for the Barbaric Archipelago Army just keeps busy all the time. And now I'll be twice as busy while deployed, but I had to let them know. As soon as I got back to the apartment; I would call them.

**. . .**

_[Sunday, 5/31/2015-6:30 pm]  
[Berserker Island; Apartment of Heather, Dagur, & Hiccup]_

Dear Gods, It's been absolute madness to prepare for the upcoming deployment to Syria, which was now just four weeks away from today. I, regretfully, have not had any time to call my parents and let them know about the year-long tour. It's been training day after training day since we found out on the 15th of May. We all got full physicals and evaluations to make sure we were set physically and emotionally to go to war. Following that was a lot of moving things around and preparing for what we'd go Syria with. And now it's just training like crazy. Exercising, target practice, mission, guard, and patrol scenarios. Fighting one another to ensure our hand to hand combat was good. It's just been unreal how much goes into preparing for a deployment. However, today wasn't awful, and I'm not ready to pass out instantly as I have felt the last couple of weeks since this started.

Most nights, unless we were doing night training; Dagur and I got back, ate dinner, grabbed a shower, and knocked out from exhaustion. Our days started at 5 am and ended at 5 pm, seven days a week. And sometimes, it was long longer than twelve hours; it really depended on what we were doing that day or night. I had already taken a shower and eaten supper. Now, I was sitting on my bed, dialing my parents' house to tell them that in a month; I would be in Syria for a year.

I took a deep breath, pressing the call button and setting it to my ear. I never gave them the number because I know they'd blow my phone up wondering when I'd call. It might be kind'a messed up, but I literally just get too busy to call whenever. Three rings in; there was a pick up.

"_Hello?"_ came the voice of my father, Stoick.

"Hi, Dad," I replied.

"_Hiccup!"_ Stoick announced with joy.

"_My baby!"_ Valka almost cried. Gods, I knew this was excitement for her now…As soon as I told them I was deploying; it would be shock, fear, concern, and tears of sadness.

"_Hi, Laddie!" _Gobber called.

"H-Hi everyone," I said softly. "How are you all?"

"_We're great. Things are going great here, son," _Valka replied lightly.

"_How are things with you, where ever you are?"_ Gobber wondered.

"Currently on Berserker, but…Leaving again in a month," I said; there was no point beating around the bush with it.

"_No chance of us seeing you before you go?"_ Stoick inquired.

I seriously doubted I'd be granted leave right now with all the training. "No, I'm sorry," I said apologetically.

"_Hiccup…We haven't seen you in nearly a year…"_ Valka responded, a clear frown in her tone.

"I-I know. I'm sorry, Mom; things have just been crazy and-," I started.

"_Son, we only hear from you twice a month, sometimes only once and it's when you call us…"_ Stoick sighed.

"It's easier for me to contact you when I have time rather than the other way around where you try to contact me and get the voicemail…Also…On that note; you're probably gonna be hearing from me less…" I stated.

"_What do you mean, lad?"_ Gobber asked.

I sighed. "I'm…Deploying overseas," I informed. Silence on the other end.

"_You're what?!"_ Gobber and Stoick yelled.

"_No! No! Hiccup, no! Please don't say-," _Valka became frantic.

"I already said it, Mom…My group is deploying overseas at the end of June," I remarked. My mother was bawling and it hurt me to hear.

"_H-How long will you be gone, son?"_ Stoick asked nervously.

"A year…"I said. My mother burst into louder tears as I closed my eyes. "Mom…Mom, come on…It's not that bad…"

"_Not that bad? Not that bad! Hiccup, you're only nineteen and going to WAR for a YEAR! It's THAT bad!"_ Valka sobbed.

"Okay, yeah it sounds bad…" I sighed to myself aloud. "Look, I'll be okay…I'm a soldier, I was trained for this kind of thing…" I tried.

"Hiccup…No amount of anything you say is going to make this sound better…Or easier to process and accept," Stoick sighed heavily.

I kind of figured that, but at least I tried. _"Will we get to see you when you go on leave?"_ Gobber inquired.

"I'll do my best, but that's a long way off. All we're doing right now is training, training, and more training until the night before we leave. Well, there's some packing and cleaning of equipment too, but you get the idea. It's been madness," I stated calmly. "How is…Everyone back home?" I decided to ask.

"_Everyone is good. Your friends miss you a lot…They…Told Astrid you made contact in November," _Stoick mentioned. I tensed at the name of my ex-girlfriend who I still thought about at least once a day since things happened.

"How'd that go?" I wondered.

"_We told her the truth, Hiccup…"_ Gobber informed. _"That you left to move on with your life, and got a job that keeps you busy. We didn't tell her it was the army, though," _he mentioned.

"Thanks for that…" I mumbled.

"_We told her that you moved on, and she should probably do the same. Maybe a day would come where you'd meet again and could talk, or whatever; clear the air and be friends against. But for now, it'd be best for her to move on with her life as you did. But son…How come you don't want her to know anything, Hiccup?"_ Stoick questioned.

"It's easier for her to get over me if she knows nothing. If she…Believes I just vanished; she has nothing to wonder or worry about. We don't have to worry about talking, or bumping into one another," I enlightened them. "Don't think I'm cruel for it…Astrid was my first friend, and girlfriend; she will always have a special place in my heart and life. I'll never forget her, and part of me will always love her. But it's just easier for us not to speak or see one another…What happened still hurts me, and it's been almost a year now," I explained softly. It did still hurt me; I didn't know why, but it did, as fresh as the day it happened.

"_We understand, son,"_ Valka informed gently. _"You sound tired,"_

"Dead tired, Mom. I've been pulling twelve-hour days for two weeks straight, some all-nighters too. It's all prep for the tour," I replied, yawning.

"_Go get some sleep, laddie. Try to keep in contact? Maybe give us an e-mail address?"_ Gobber hoped.

"I gotta make a new one. Can't remember the password to the old one. As soon as I get a chance to set it up, I'll hit you up and let you know. My cell phone will likely be useless where I'm going, but there will be Wi-Fi; I'm taking my laptop/tablet with me. I'll likely download Skype, and we can talk that way while I'm gone," I mentioned.

"_Where are you going?"_ Stoick wondered curiously.

I paused. We were told not to tell our families where we were deploying. I know Dagur broke that and told Heather, but said she couldn't tell anyone. I didn't want to break the rules. "I…Can't tell you. Sorry; those are the orders we were given for the time being. I'm not sure if it'll change, but we only have permission to tell you about the one-year tour of duty," I stated.

"_We understand,"_ Valka replied. _"Go get some sleep, son,"_

"Alright. I love you all, and I'll contact you again soon. Night," I said softly.

"_We love you, Hiccup!"_ Valka said quickly.

"Bye," I pulled the phone down and ended the call. I took a deep breath before setting the phone to charge on my nightstand and then crawling into bed. About fifteen minutes later, everything went black and I was out.


	6. Chapter 6

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

_**Author's Note;**_ _Alright everyone; I really had hoped that I wouldn't have to do this...But I'm gonna. How I write my stories, is how I write my stories. If you don't like it, don't read it. Yes, I know that I make Hiccup an over-cocky asshole. Yes, I know that I make Astrid a sap. And yes, I'm well aware that this is NOT how the characters are meant to be. However...I like writing the character a bit out of character and give them a more...Modernized personality where people make mistakes and have emotions. I'm a hard-ass in real life, like Astrid. But when something big happens; I get emotional. Hiccup got rejected when he proposed, and his response, instead of fighting; was to leave well-enough alone. And Astrid took time to get her head together. Hiccup made the hasty decision while hurt to join the army. It happens, people. Everyone reacts to pain, and makes mistakes. That's what I go for when I write, okay? And for Odin's sake...This is FANFICTION. Let the author's write how they write; it's supposed to be FAN-made. Don't get your knickers in a twist just because it isn't written exactly the same._

_When I wrote Light In The Dark; no one said a word about the fact I had Snotlout and Tuffnut rape Hiccup. No one cared when I made Hiccup evil for a bit. In My Second Chance; no one gave me crap over giving Hiccup severe depression where he tried to kill himself three times. In Change Of Heart; no one said a word about Hiccup joining a gang, doing drugs, and going to juvy. Same with Healing Hearts. Why is it when I made Hiccup WAY out of character then, no one had a problem. But I have him react to being rejected in this story and everyone loses their minds over it? Seriously? Come on now. We all know, I, ten to one...Give the story a happy ending, where everyone is exactly as they should be. I think we all need to remember that in the journey known as life; you gotta mess up a lot and make mistake to learn and grow from them. _

_That's all I'm doing in my stories. I give the characters their time to make mistakes, learn, and grow over time as all us humans do. So can we stop with the negative reviews about how I write? It's becoming really annoying, and as I've said...If you don't like it, just don't read it. I get constructive criticism, but if there's something you don't like, or understand as to why I do it; message me and ask. Constructive Criticism is the act of giving me something constructive to work with. You telling me I'm writing the characters in a way you don't like just tells me you don't like the story. If it bugs ya so much, then stop reading it. Or, as the old saying goes; if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all. This is why I put Moderating Reviews back on, because I'm sick of seeing the negativity. That being said...I do hope those of you who are enjoying the story, will continue to enjoy it as it progresses. Now, onward with chapter six. Thank you! -Nightstar._

**6.**

_=Normal POV=  
[Saturday, 6/27/2015-7:30 pm]  
[Berserker Island; Apartment]_

Tomorrow was the big day for the soldiers of Alpha Company based in Berserker Island; they were going to Syria for one year to serve their first tour of duty. There had been training day in and day out, even nights. Hiccup did keep to his word and make a new e-mail address to give to his parents and Gobber; reminding them not to be surprised if he was unable to answer right away, or even for a few days. Hiccup called Adelaide a couple weeks ago to congratulate her on graduating high school, and he talked to her and Snotlout for a few minutes each; telling them he was in the army and about to deploy for a year. Hiccup said that they could tell their parents, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut…But not Astrid. Thankfully, his cousins agreed to his terms and hoped he would be safe and that they could see him soon. Hiccup spent the last week making sure everything he needed for the tour was packed up, Dagur, and all the others did the same. And tonight; they were together for one last hoorah party to enjoy semi-simple life before going to war. Of course, there was alcohol involved, but it wouldn't be crazy because the four males needed to be at the Berserker Base Airfield for 4:00 am, and they'd be leaving for 5 am.

Heather made dinner for the five of them to enjoy, and now all of them were sitting around the living room to relax and chat about whatever. Hiccup already talked to his parents before dinner, letting them know he'd be eating, showering, and probably getting to sleep for the flight tomorrow. Hiccup still didn't tell them where he was going; it hadn't been allowed to reveal that location. Hiccup said he loved them all and would call as soon as he got the chance once he arrived at his destination. However, tonight; the friends noticed how quiet Hiccup was, and they weren't sure why when he'd been happy and active all day.

"Alright," Dagur sat up now, looking over at Hiccup. "What gives?"

"Huh?" Hiccup asked.

"You. What's up with you tonight?" Dagur clarified.

"Nothing, just relaxing with all of you," Hiccup replied.

"Nah. Nah fam…Something is bothering you," Dagur remarked.

"Come on, bro," Thuggory stated.

"Talk to us," Eret offered.

"Are you nervous about the next year?" Heather wondered.

"Not really," Hiccup shook his head.

"Then what gives, Hic?" Dagur pushed. "Does it have to do with that _something_ leaving you mentioned back in November before the stationing here on Berserker?" he inquired. Hiccup didn't respond right away, but he sighed after a moment.

"Yes," Hiccup admitted.

"What happened, man?" Thuggory questioned.

"You were right back in November, Thug…That whole situation was in regard to an ex," Hiccup confirmed. "We were together for three years; after graduation I asked her to marry me and she said no,"

"Oh, my Gods…Did she say why?!" Heather inquired quickly.

Hiccup shook his head. "No. In fact; she said no and just ran off to her bedroom, locking the door. I felt like the answer was made clear, so I just left. Got in my car and went home. Haven't seen or spoken to her since. That was last June, on the 15th,"

"But then…We met you on the mainland, on the 30th; you just up and left Berk in fifteen days?" Eret asked.

"You made a life changing choice to join the army in fifteen days?" Thuggory blinked.

"No," Hiccup stated. "I'd always wanted to join the military when I was younger. But then I fell in love with my ex when I was fifteen, and we started dating. By the middle of my senior year; I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with and decided that if I was going to settle down early; joining the army didn't make much sense. Plus, she wasn't overly fond of the idea…She supports the military, would have supported me if we'd stayed together and I'd joined…But I guess at the time; I preferred the plan to stay on Berk and live my life with her," he explained.

"But when she rejected your proposal; you decided to go ahead and join?" Dagur inquired.

Hiccup nodded to him. "I wanted to get away from Berk…From her,"

"That…Makes sense, but Hiccup…Why didn't you ever talk to her? Get a reason?" Heather wondered.

"Because I was hurt," Hiccup stated.

"Yeah, but-," Eret tried.

"Let me give you the history I have with this girl," Hiccup sighed. "I'd always been bullied for my small figure. I was always called; the talking fishbone, Hiccup the Useless, runt even…But one day in Kindergarten; she came to sit with me because she wanted to. When I was along on the playground; she'd come play with me. Sometimes we just sat on the swings and talked. We became the best of friends. Gods…We were always competing with one another; it was fun. I met my other friends through her, and soon it just became our group of six. Well, one of the friends is actually my younger cousin; he's like…Ten months younger than me. Anyway…" he took a breath.

"That friendship held for YEARS until freshman year; I just looked at her one day and it hit me that I was in love with her. Took me the entire school year to find the courage to ask her to the end of year dance, and then tell her how I felt. By the end of that night; she was my girlfriend. Our relationship was great; we never fought, kept the friendship through the dating. Always cracking jokes and having a good time. We could always talk to one another, always had trust, communication, mutual feelings…No secrets. The middle of our final year; I wanted more than dating. I wanted her forever, so I bought a ring and waited until after graduation. Which, shockingly, ended up being our three-year anniversary…I found it to be no better time when it was just us in her parents' house…"

"So you asked her and she said no, running off, and leaving you nothing at all except rejection and hurt," Thuggory frowned some.

"Yeah," Hiccup nodded, keeping his eyes down.

"Maybe it just…Surprised her, and you took it the wrong way?" Heather offered.

"Heather, I stood in the living room for five minutes, praying that was the case. Praying that she'd come back out and tell me she panicked or something," Hiccup closed his eyes. "But she didn't. I decided to just leave; I got in my car and left. I got home; went to my room and then took the next two days to decide what I was going to do. In all that; she never messaged, called, or even came to see me," Hiccup informed. "So, cleaning my room up a bit on the second day; I found all my military packets and made my choice that since she and I were over, I was going to move on with my life and join the army. It gave me the chance to have the job I wanted, and to leave Berk. I figured it would be best; get some distance between us,"

"And…To this day, she still hasn't inquired about you?" Dagur wondered.

"She has, and my parents told her I moved on…So she should too," Hiccup stated. "She knows I have a job that keeps me busy and moves around a lot, but she doesn't know it's the army. I made it clear I don't want her knowing. She'll just get worried and hang on more. It's better this way…" he added.

"Is it, though, Hiccup?" Heather looked into his eyes softly. "Have you moved on, or just distanced yourself? There's still pain in your eyes because it still bothers you…" Hiccup didn't reply. "You still love her…Don't you?"

Hiccup finished the beer and stood up. "One day, I might feel better and move on with someone else…But it doesn't mean I'd stop loving her," he tossed his beer bottle away. "She was my first, and I wanted her to be my only. Things didn't exactly go that way…But she'll always have a special place in my heart and my life. No matter where I go, what I do, who I might be with, or how many years might pass; until the day I take my last breath; part of me will always love Astrid Hofferson. I'm gonna get some sleep; see you in the morning, guys," he headed off to his room.

"Damn…" Eret said.

"Poor guy," Thuggory nodded, agreeing.

"It still hurts him, even a year later," Heather frowned.

"Don't blame him for still being bothered by it; he'll actually move on when he's ready. Distancing himself was just the first part…" Dagur informed. "We'll get him through it. Maybe after the tour is up we can get him to start going on dates again or something. I don't know; I just don't wanna see my little brother upset. We should probably turn in as well," he added.

"Yeah, early and long day tomorrow," Eret stated.

"You two crashing on the couch here?" Heather asked. "I'm taking Hiccup and Dagur to the base tomorrow morning; I can take you too?"

"Cool with you, Dag?" Thuggory inquired.

"Yeah, that's fine. I'll grab a couple blankets and pillows for ya. We can go for 3:30 am; give you two time to grab your stuff from your dorm room and then we can meet up with the rest of the company on the airstrip," Dagur stated.

"Got it," Thuggory and Eret nodded. Dagur got up, going into the closet and grabbing two spare pillows and light blankets. Heather was using the bathroom and brushing her teeth. Thuggory and Eret got set on the couches they were using for the night as Dagur used the bathroom when Heather came out.

"Night, guys," Heather called before entering her room.

"Night, Heather!" Thuggory and Eret replied together as she closed her door. Dagur came out and headed for his room.

"See ya in about seven hours," Dagur waved.

"Yep, and about nine until we get on that plane," Eret stated. Dagur got in his room and Thuggory flipped off the couch-side table lamp. The apartment was quiet and dark with all five residents falling fast asleep and knowing that tomorrow started a one year deployment.

**. . .**

_[Sunday, 6/28/2015-4:30 am]  
[Berserker Island; Berserk Base Airfield]_

As agreed upon; at 3:30 am, the four soldier were driven by Heather to the Berserker Military Base, and that is where they had to say goodbye. It was hugs from Heather to all of them, Dagur and Hiccup getting the strongest, longest, and most tear-filled ones. Heather left with tears in her eyes as the four males reached their company and checked in with Viggo. There wasn't much else to do except wait around or offer to help with last-minute, final things. Now, they were just sitting around and waiting to get on the plane; it was going by platoon, so there's wasn't up yet.

All of them were on their phones to pass the time until they were called to board. "Heather just texted me," Dagur informed.

"Yeah, what she say?" Hiccup wondered.

"I got back safe, love and miss you already. The apartment is so lonely and quiet…Be safe and can't wait to see you again with a heart," Dagur repeated the message.

"Tell her we love and miss her already too," Hiccup said while looking at his own phone.

"Are…You alright?" Thuggory asked.

"Hm? Yeah, I'm okay," Hiccup nodded.

"So…Why the long face?" Eret decided to push.

"Tired, I suppose," Hiccup remarked.

"I'm sure we'll have time to sleep on the plane; it's a five and a half hour flight to Aleppo," Dagur mentioned, finishing his text to Heather.

"Good…Planes make me nervous…First time I flew was in senior year for the trip to Archi Flags on the mainland…" Hiccup looked off to the side for a bit. "Astrid kept me distracted for take off and landing…And the second time I ever flew was alone to for getting reception week," he added. "Had my headphones for that,"

"Hey, it's alright, Hiccup. We got your back," Eret reminded.

"You are permitted to wear your headphones for the flight, Private Haddock. We'll let you know when it's time to take them out," Viggo strolled up with Ryker.

"Appreciated, Lieutenant Grimborn…" Hiccup nodded to him. "Are we boarding?" he wondered.

"Not yet, but I am coming to get you for something," Viggo stated as Hiccup stood up.

"What do you need me for, sir?" Hiccup inquired. Viggo and Ryker stepped aside to reveal Stoick, Valka, Gobber, Snotlout, and Adelaide standing there. "Oh, my Gods!" he said in shock.

"Go on; you got five minutes," Viggo nodded his head towards Hiccup's family. "You can thank Captain Bludvist later; he allowed it," he mentioned.

"Will do!" Hiccup took off his rifle and set it down on his bag before walking up to his family members.

"Hiccup!" Valka was first to pulled her son into a tight hug, freely crying as she did. "Oh, my boy…" she sighed out sadly. "I've missed you so much,"

"I've missed you too, Mom…" Hiccup hugged her back, closing his eyes.

"Alright, don't hog him, Val…" Gobber rolled his eyes, pulling Valka back a bit.

"Gobber Forger, I have not seen my son in a year and I'm about to not see him for another one; you back off or I will drop you!" Valka said firmly as Stoick laughed and Gobber backed up with his hands up defensively. Even some of the other soldiers and commanding officers did the same.

"Gobber, you know better than to mess with Valka when she's in Mama Bear Mode…" Stoick sighed some, but smiled.

"I know…Don't mess with her baby boy," Gobber chuckled. Hiccup facepalmed hard, already know he would _never_ live this down because he already heard some of his friends snickering.

"Aw, Hiccup. You're her baby boy?" Eret and Thuggory laughed a bit.

"Shut the hell up before I come over there and knock the both of you out for the entire flight…" Hiccup mumbled. "I'm an only child…"

"As if you could," Thuggory huffed.

"Try me…" Hiccup narrowed his eyes as Thuggory and Eret gulped.

"Don't test him, guys. Hiccup's one of the top fighters in this company," Dagur added.

"Thank you," Hiccup said to him.

"I got your back, bud," Dagur nodded. Valka took a deep breath, kissing Hiccup's cheek on both sides before stepping back and Stoick went in next.

"Not that I'm not thrilled to see you all…But what are you doing here?" Hiccup inquired as Stoick kissed his forehead.

"We had to see you before you shipped out, so your father made some calls and made it so we could come see you before you leave in a few minutes," Gobber explained.

"I just talked you last night…When did you fly in?" Hiccup inquired.

"Yesterday, son…When you called to say goodbye to us," Stoick informed.

"We were already on Berserker Island, staying in a hotel until it was time to come here. We would have come right to where you're living, but you never gave us the address," Valka added.

"Won't do ya much good now," Hiccup shrugged.

"Good to see you, cuz," Snotlout shook his hand and they did a quick hug.

"You too, Snot," Hiccup smiled as Adelaide grabbed her hug next, trying not to cry. "I am happy to see you all,"

"Will you be coming to Berk when you get leave?" Adelaide wondered.

"Likely, decision is pending based on certain information I get when I decide to take it…" Hiccup informed.

"You mean pertaining to Astrid being around?" Snotlout inquired. "She's still living at home, going to school, and working as a CNA,"

"Figured," Hiccup replied quietly.

"Are you sure we can't tell her?..." Valka questioned.

"Yes, I'm sure," Hiccup refused, shaking his head. "Don't give her nothing about me. Don't even tell her when I make contact. Telling her is only gonna make her worry and hold on more…It's time to let go. She made her choice…And I made mine, so that's how it's gonna be. If she wanted me…She would have said yes, no hesitation, and things would be different…But that's not how it went, and I accepted what is,"

"We understand, son," Stoick stated as Gobber put his hand on Hiccup's shoulder.

"You do you, kiddo. Above all else, you gotta do what makes you happy," Gobber informed.

"Exactly," Valka nodded.

"Dragon Platoon!" Viggo called as Hiccup looked at him with the others who were already up and gathering their things. "Time to move," he added.

"Guess that's my ride," Hiccup tried to laugh a little.

"We love you, Hiccup!" Adelaide said quickly.

"We'll see you soon," Snotlout added. Gobber hugged Hiccup after Snotlout did.

"Piece of advice for when you're over there, lad; expect the unexpected. If it's too quiet and easy; then it's gonna be hell. Always trust your instinct; it won't let you down. Shoot with both eyes open, keep your guard up, and have each other's backs. And always remember that you're not alone," Gobber gave him a light punch on the chin with a smile.

"Got it," Hiccup nodded as he hugged him again. Hiccup hugged his father tightly.

"I love you, son…And I mighty proud of all you've done and will do," Stoick smiled, kissing the top of Hiccup's head, then his forehead before letting go.

"I want you to take this with you," Valka placed a necklace around his neck as Hiccup saw it to be a silver chain with a pendant dangling; the design was that of a Night Fury, which was rumored to me the most elusive, rarest, and powerful dragon of it's time. Also, it was an Alpha of the dragons. A king. "You've had it since you were a baby; your father and I had Gobber make it for you when you born early and we worried you wouldn't make it. Your father assured me you'd be the strongest of them all and pull through, just like a Night Fury. It was meant to be a graduation present, but since you…were busy, distant, and all that last year…" Valka sniffled a bit. "Heart of a Chief, Soul of a Dragon…Never forget who you are, Hiccup, or where you come from. Your father and I are always with you,"

"Thanks, Mom," Hiccup tucked it inside his uniform with his dog tags. Valka tried not to get hysterical, but it wasn't working.

"Private Haddock!" Viggo called.

"Coming," Hiccup replied.

"I-I'm going to-," Valka started.

Hiccup sighed and hugged her. "I'm going to miss you too, Mom. I'm gonna miss all of you, and knowing I'm overseas fighting for your safety and freedom is what's gonna get me through the next year. I love you, guys…" Hiccup said.

"I love you too, son," Valka cried, holding onto him tighter. "B-Be careful…Come home, please, Hiccup…"

Hiccup hugged tighter, kissing her cheek. "I can only promise to try," Hiccup replied as she hugged him tighter.

"Haddock!" Viggo yelled again.

"I gotta go, Mom…" Hiccup tried to pull away, but Valka wouldn't let him go. "Dad…" Hiccup looked at him as Stoick and Gobber pulled Valka off Hiccup; he stepped back and grabbed his bag and gun. "See you, hopefully, soon," he headed for the plane with Thuggory, Eret, and Dagur. As he was about to get inside; he looked back to see his mom sobbing.

"Val, stop…Don't break down in front of him…" Stoick tried to tell her. Hiccup stepped into to back of the plane; grabbing a seat next to Dagur on the end and giving a two-fingered salute to his family with a half-smile. Valka lost it; she cried out and hit her knees. It killed Hiccup to see; he forced himself to turn his head as the plane doors began to shut and then the aircraft make it's way on the runway and then shoot down and take off.

"Are you alright, Private Haddock?" inquired Lieutenant Johann Traytor while walking by.

"F-Fine…" Hiccup replied. Gods; he hated planes.

"I don't think he meant your nervousness of planes," Viggo remarked. "You looked away from your family before the doors shut…"

Hiccup laid his head back and looked up at them. "While I'm grateful…I had my reasons for not wanting to see them when it was offered for us to go home for a couple days before the tour. I knew what would happen, and I didn't want to have to see it in person like that. Harder for them, harder for me," he said.

"Understood," Drago nodded his head. "I had told your folks I wanted to check with you first, and your father begged me not to; wanting it to be a surprise,"

"I get it, Captain Bludvist. And thank you, but seeing them for a few brief moments makes it all the harder to walk away to get on a plane and go to war. Just…Don't do it again, please?" Hiccup asked.

"I copy those orders, Private Haddock. All of you, try to get some rest; it's going to be a bit crazy when we get there and work to get settled," Drago called out to the soldiers before walking away. Hiccup closed his eyes and sighed.

"_A million thoughts in my head, should I let my heart keep listening? I know it's time to say goodbye, so hard to let go…"_ Hiccup sang quietly. The line was a small song from Disney's Descendants because I saw early released leaks on YouTube. I knew the scene was for the main girl saying goodbye to the guy she loved and knowing she had to let him go. It was just a thing for him, it felt right; he missed Astrid like crazy, especially knowing he was going to war for the next year. Hopefully, as more time passed; it wouldn't hurt so much and Hiccup would actually be able to move on.

"Hic?" Dagur asked.

"I'm fine, Dag," Hiccup replied to him as he put my headphones in and just hit play, letting whatever came on go. In five and a half hours; we'd be in Syria and starting our first tour of duty.


	7. Chapter 7

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**7.**

_=Astrid's POV=  
[Saturday, 6/11/2022-11:45 am]  
[Isle of Berk; Hofferson Residence]_

My eyes drifted to the calendar hanging near my bed, seeing the date, but more so; the year. It was 2022, and the month of June just four days away from the 15th. It's been eight years since the last time I saw Hiccup Haddock because of my foolish mistake that I still beat myself up over. I can't believe it's been this long. I know that his parents, Gobber, and even Snotlout and Adelaide are likely getting updates and being contacted because they are family. Well, Gobber is Hiccup's Godfather and unofficial uncle due to being Stoick's best friend. At least that's the story I got from Hiccup. I have a strong feeling that Fishlegs, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut also know and like how I was told about seven years ago…Hiccup doesn't want me knowing anything about him. I get he was hurt by what happened, and it was clear we broke up, but still all this time later; does he feel resentment towards me? I guess I'd never know, despite my heart still wanting and loving him. I don't know why I'm still holding on.

I think it's because of how things were left. I panicked and said no to his marriage proposal; then ran away from Hiccup. And he took it as I didn't want him at all, so he just left. Hiccup the proceeding to just up and leave Berk to distance himself to get over me. However, that distancing turned into Hiccup finding a job that kept him busy and always traveling. Last I knew, according to Stoick and Valka from the day I was told that Hiccup wasn't coming back for a long time; Hiccup was on Berserker Island, but wouldn't be there much longer. And as far as I know Hiccup hasn't been back to Berk since the day he left, but I could be wrong. The day I learned Hiccup was choosing to move on; I decided that I'd do the same. It hasn't done me much good because there isn't a day that doesn't go by that I don't think about Hiccup and wonder if he's alright…Or if he ever thinks about me.

I'm now twenty-six years old and officially a licensed Veterinarian; I graduated from college yesterday. Well, no official graduation, but it was my last day. I'm still a licensed CNA, and I'll continue that job until I find a vet one. Fishlegs also finished vet school as well. I still hung out with my friends, and enjoyed some of my social life outside of school and home. I've been on a couple dates, had a couple of relationships since Hiccup; nothing lasted. The dates were guys who I could never be with in a serious relationship, or they just wanted sex. And the relationships I ended up in weren't fantastic either; I don't think any of them made it past six months. Some ended because they didn't like that I still cared for Hiccup, and then there was one or two who wanted to rush things, and then there was one who slapped me. I ended that one real fast. So that's where my love life is right now. I'm single. My last relationship ended about ten months ago, and there was maybe two dates to try again, but I gave up.

I understand now that my heart belongs to Hiccup, and he's the only man I want to be with for the rest of my life. But if that's truly over; I need to hear it from Hiccup, maybe then I can move on. I felt like Hiccup and I needed to sit down and actually talk about what happened eight years ago; clear the air between us and officially end it. To me; things weren't over because there is so much that was left unsaid, and it was a complete misunderstanding that hurt Hiccup a lot. I got that, but that's why I wanted to speak with him to let him know I made a mistake and see if maybe we can get back what we had. I knew it wouldn't be easy, and after this long apart; we'd basically start over. But I didn't care; I'd do anything for another chance with Hiccup. I just hoped that I'd see him and I was praying he hadn't fully moved on either. If he did; I'd accept things and move on as well, but I wouldn't do any of that until we got to talk. So true to my world; I will continue waiting for him.

Today, I'm supposed to be meeting my friends for lunch and we'd be meeting two new people who just moved to Berk a month or two ago. I guess Fishlegs has made good friends with them, showing them around and what not; he's insisted we meet them. I suppose I don't mind; new friends weren't a bad thing. I checked my phone and sighed; it was time to go and meet the others. I grabbed my wallet and headed out of the house to get to my car and leave.

**. . .**

_=Normal POV=  
[12:50 pm]  
[Isle of Berk; Raven Point Park-The Cove]_

The weather was nice, so it was decided the friends meet up at The Cove, a picnic spot inside Raven Point Park. It was a beautiful place with picnic tables, a small pond, a couple porta-potties, and a lovely overlook of the ocean. The friends met up and smiled upon seeing one another; there were hugs and smiles all around as we picked our spot and sat down to get set up. All of them were in charge of bringing something to the lunch, so it wouldn't fall on one person's shoulders.

"It's good to see everyone again," Fishlegs smiled. It had been a while since they'd done this; everyone was busy with their lives the past six months or so. I knew I was focusing on my last year of school, so was Fishlegs.

"Definitely," Snotlout nodded. "I invited Minden; I hope that's okay. She ended up getting the day off last minute…"

"That's fine! The more the merrier," Astrid chuckled. "When is she coming?"

"She should be here in the next five to ten minutes," Snotlout informed. Astrid was happy for Snotlout; that he found someone to love. For the longest time; Snotlout wanted Astrid, but she refused to date him because he was cocky, self-absorbed, and downright annoying. Snotlout and Minden met when the Jorgenson's took a family vacation to Wingmaiden Isle. Minden was sort of the tour guide; she and Snotlout just clicked. The two of them dated long distance for about five months before Minden decided to move to Berk, and now they've been together nearly two years. Their anniversary is the sometime in August. Minden is twenty-six; her birthday is January 11th. Snotlout is still twenty-five until December 20th.

Adelaide was seeing Tuffnut; that was a huge shocker for the friends to see. Adelaide is now twenty-four, turning twenty-five in September on the 10th. Snotlout is actually only nine months older than Adelaide because their parents got pregnant with Adelaide, basically a month after Snotlout was born. And Adelaide was born a month early; she was due to be born in October 1997. Tuffnut and Adelaide got together three years ago in September 2019, which was Adelaide's twenty-second birthday.

Ruffnut has been in a few relationships, but like Astrid; nothing worked out, so she's currently single. Fishlegs had a couple dates, but nothing lasted. Ruffnut and Fishlegs dated briefly for maybe a month, but decided it wasn't for them, so they ended it and remained friends. Fishlegs was currently single as well.

"Fishlegs, where are these new friends you want us to meet?" Ruffnut wondered.

"They're coming, don't worry. They're still new to Berk, and getting settled into their house," Fishlegs explained.

"And how did you meet these people again?" Tuffnut asked.

"I was picking up my mom from the transportation center a couple months ago, come to find out that my dad and I had a miscommunication and he had already gotten her. But before I got that message; I ran into these two girls and two kids with them. I guess they moved here because they have a soldier overseas who will be stationing on Berk when the tour ends, so they came to find an apartment or house and get things set before the guy comes home or whatever. I offered to take them to the hotel, and said if they needed anything to let me know and I'd help out. Me and the younger girl, our age, just talk a lot; she's great," Fishlegs explained.

"Sounds like you got a thing for her," Astrid teased.

"Maybe…I've only known her like, three months," Fishlegs replied, blushing a bit.

"Well, good for you," Ruffnut smiled.

"Hi, everyone," greeted Minden, Snotlout's girlfriend; she had light auburn hair that was pulled back into a ponytail and green eyes.

"Fishlegs?" called a female voice. Fishlegs looked over to see a woman with dark brown hair and green eyes.

"Over here!" Fishlegs waved his hand to signal her. The friends looked to see the woman with brown hair and green eyes, then they saw an older woman who had short blond hair and green eyes. There were two kids, a boy and a girl, on either side of her and holding her hands. The kids appeared to be four or five; both having green eyes. The girl had red hair, but sort of orange-ish, and the boy had light strawberry blonde. The small group of four made their way down and over to Fishlegs.

"Sorry if we're late," the older female stated. "Still getting used to everything on Berk,"

"Oh, don't worry about," Fishlegs informed gently. "We all just got here too,"

"Okay, now I don't feel so bad," said the girl with dark brown hair.

"Everyone…This is Heather Bazirk. Next to her is her sister-in-law, Mala Bazirk, formerly DeFendor. And then the two kids are Mala's; Magne and Dagny Bazirk," Fishlegs introduced.

"Pleasure to meet you," Minden smiled. "I'm Minden Guarder," she said.

"Ruffnut Thorston," Ruffnut waved.

"Tuffnut Thorson," Tuffnut stated.

"Adelaide Jorgenson," Adelaide stood beside Tuffnut, holding onto his arm.

"Snotlout Jorgenson," Snotlout said, holding Minden's hand.

"Astrid Hofferson," Astrid replied with a light smile. Heather eyed Astrid a bit.

"Astrid Hofferson?" Heather stated curiously; then she snapped her fingers. "That's why it sounds familiar; you're the one who broke Hiccup's heart eight years ago," she remarked as Astrid's eyes widened a bit.

_She knows Hiccup? _Astrid asked herself. "How do you know Hiccup?" she decided to ask.

"He's my brother's best friend," Heather informed casually. Before Astrid could say anything else; Stoick, Valka, and Gobber walked up. "Hello, Mr. And Mrs. Haddock. Hi, Mr. Forger," she greeted.

"Hello, dear," Valka smiled.

"What brings you to Berk?" Stoick inquired.

"According to Dagur; they're stationing on Berk when the tour is over," Mala said softly.

"Oh, wonderful!" Valka clapped her hands together a few times. "I was wondering if they ever would with all of the other stationing assignments,"

"Easy, Val," Gobber said. "Pretty sure the tour is still another four months,"

"You're right," Heather nodded. "I just talked to Dagur this morning; he said his leave time wasn't approved when he wanted it, but he's trying to get for July or August. They're all dying to get back; I guess things haven't been great this time around,"

"I hope they'll be alright," Gobber said.

"We'll work through it as we've done the last few times," Mala informed softly. "We just want to see them again; it's been a while,"

"Then how about I let you see me now?" came a male voice as Heather, Mala, and the kids whipped around to see a male with short red hair and green eyes.

"DAGUR!" Heather screeched as she immediately hugged him.

"Hey, hey…Come on," Dagur soothed, rubbing her back and holding her. "Don't cry…"

"Sh-Shut up! I haven't seen you since you left in April 2021…It's been fourteen months…" Heather cried lightly.

"I know; I'm sorry…" Dagur sighed. "I did my best to get back sooner, but things just got so crazy and heavy; we couldn't leave, sis,"

"I understand," Heather pulled off him, wiping her eyes as Dagur kissed her forehead. Dagur turned to hug Mala and kiss her.

"I've missed you, Dagur," Mala said softly.

"Missed you too, Mala…" Dagur breathed out, pressing his forehead to hers. Dagur knelt down afterward and then he scooped his kids into his arms.

"Daddy!" the twins cried together, hugged him tightly.

"Oh, I've missed you two so much…Easy now…Daddy's here…" Dagur comforted his twins, placing a kiss on their cheeks and holding tightly.

"Do we get that hug too?" asked another male with short brown hair and blue eyes inquired.

"Thuggory! Eret!" Heather smiled, hugging both of them.

"Good see you again," Eret, the male with dark brown hair and amber eyes, said.

"Welcome home, boys," Stoick stated.

"Thank you, Mr. Haddock," Dagur said to him. Astrid ended up walking away to use the bathroom; it seemed she and Heather likely wouldn't get along because Heather's brother was best friends with Hiccup and knew that Astrid broke Hiccup's heart eight years ago. It seemed Heather held some resentment about the situation, so it would likely be best for them to only see or speak to one another if necessary.

"You all got to take leave at the same time?" Mala inquired.

"Special reasons behind it," Thuggory sighed.

"It wasn't intentional, mostly," Dagur informed. "Eret was scheduled to take leave in August. Thuggory was supposed to go two weeks before the end of July. But then our dumbass leader got hurt and we were all sent to make sure he takes it easy because he's a stubborn fool who never listens,"

"Oh, Gods…What happened this time?" Valka instantly inquired. "Where is he?"

"Easy, Dagur…" Eret rolled his eyes. "I mean, yeah…He got hurt, but he saved all our lives…I'd rather an injury than losing anyone else…"

"We've had enough of that this tour…" Thuggory mumbled. "Speaking of…Where is he?"

"I thought he was right behind you," Eret stated. A fourth male approached in uniform wearing a hat and sunglasses; there was an all black dog that had green eyes with him while he snuck up behind Heather. At this time, Astrid had returned, seeing the male.

"Boo," the male said as he grabbed her hips from behind. Heather jumped and whipped around and went to smack the person who did it, but the male blocked her hand and held it down. "As if your brother would let anyone other than me just sneak up and scare you like that," he chuckled. Heather relaxed, removing the hat to reveal short auburn hair with a wildness to it; then she took off the sunglasses and smiled with excitement to see who was there. "Surprise,"

Heather squealed with delight as she instantly hugged him tightly, locking her legs around his waist and arms around the neck. "HICCUP!" Astrid's eyes widened at the name. Hiccup was there, not more than two feet away? "You're back!"

"I am," Hiccup chuckled some. Heather hugged him tightly before cupping his cheeks and kissing him deeply. Astrid just stared in utter disbelief; and what got to her more was seeing Hiccup return the action fully. After a few seconds; the two pulled away from one another as Hiccup set Heather down on her feet and faced the others. "Long time no see," he smiled. Of course, Astrid was towards the back, and it seemed he hadn't seen her yet because she was behind Minden and Fishlegs.

"Ya think? It's been eight years," Tuffnut remarked.

"And you're in the military?" Ruffnut blinked. Astrid couldn't believe it; it really was him.

"Good to have you home, son," Stoick smiled, patting his shoulder.

"We've missed you," Valka kissed Hiccup's cheek.

"Who is that hiding in the back? New friend?" Hiccup wondered, trying to see. Adelaide noticed Astrid had returned; she accidentally bumped into Astrid, sending the girl forward into Hiccup. Hiccup let go of Heather and made sure Astrid wouldn't fall. "You alright?" he asked. Astrid quickly looked up and her eyes met his. The first thing Dagur did was pull Heather back beside him and Mala, giving her the firm eyes of; _stay out of it_. The area felt silent as the two former lovers were finally face to face after eight long years apart.


	8. Chapter 8

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**8.**

_=Hiccup's POV=  
[Saturday, 6/11/2022-12:15 pm]  
[Isle of Berk; Raven Point Park-The Cove]_

Every time I went to Berk; I knew I ran the risk of running into Astrid over the years. It never happened until today when Dagur, Eret, Thuggory, and me were sent home on two-week leave because I got hurt on a mission keeping them safe. Since Dagur and I didn't get our requested time, and then Thuggory and Eret were due for their requested times; we were all sent together. That and the guys were keeping an eye on me to make sure I didn't hurt myself more while recovering. I knew months ago that Alpha Company was stationing on Berk after this third tour ended in October. Mala, Dagur's wife of four years come December, said that she and Heather with the two kids would go to Berk early and start scoping out places to live for when Dagur and I came home. Of course, I already stated that I would live on my own or with Eret and Thuggory. Mala and Dagur with their twins and Heather deserved to have their own life; I felt I shouldn't be living with the Bazirk Family anymore; I had been since November 2014.

It's been a crazy, busy eight years. I've been on two tours, and finishing the third now. The first, Syria, was a year. June 2015 to June 2016. We stationed on Caldera Cay; that's how Dagur met Mala; they were incredibly fond of one another and started dating and Mala ended up pregnant after a very drunken night, so February 18, 2017; Dagny and Magne Bazirk were born. The second was Afghanistan in 2017, right after Dagur's twins were born and I'd turned twenty-one. We left in March 2017 for eighteen months, and returned November 2018. And this third one, in Iraq now, we left April 2021, and still had four months to go to October 2020 when it would be over; another grueling eighteen months. Mala and Dagur got married December 2018 because during his leave in the second tour; he asked Mala to marry him and she said yes. The guys and I were happy to be part of the wedding; it was planned while we were on tour and finalization took place as soon as we got home. I was Dagur's best man.

We stationed on the Swallow Lands for two years in January 2019 and stayed there until May 2020 when we transferred to Meathead until December 2020. After that it was Bog-Burglar where Thuggory met Camicazi Boggs; they hit it off great, but then this tour was announced in March 2021 for a month later in April. Cami and Thuggory still talk a lot, though, and I'm pretty sure they're gonna date soon now that we're stationed on Berk. Bog-Burglar is only two and a half hours away by car; far less if you take one of the island hopper planes. These were just seaplanes that travel short distances to other islands. Eret has had a couple dates, but no relationships; he feels it's hard to settle down with the army life. I told him I understood as I'd been in that same position.

As for me; I've been on countless dates since the end of the first tour when the guys begged me to just put myself back out there. Some were just dates, others turned into relationships, but nothing that lasted more than six months. The most recent, possible relationship, is Heather; Dagur's sister. I've always seen her like a little sister, but before the third tour; we started getting closer and found we have quite a bit in common. We've gone on some dates, shared more than a few kisses; both small and make-out level. I could say confidently that I developed a crush on, and liked her as more than a friend. However, there was hesitation in dating because I've lived with Heather and Dagur for a long time, and for the longest, at least up until the crush started; I've seen Heather as a sister. So I really didn't know how take a sibling-like relationship and turn it romantic. Honestly; it felt weird, so we said we were gonna talk when the third tour ended.

Also, now there is a new problem. I'm standing in front of Astrid Hofferson for the first time in eight years since the night I had stood before her asking for her hand in marriage. Sadly, seeing her again brought everything back as I'd feared it would. As I said before the first tour with four people as my witnesses; no matter what I did, where I went, or who I might be with-I'd always love Astrid. Truthfully; I'd always hoped to see her again. Maybe the reason I had such a hard time letting go is because we never truly said goodbye. Astrid ran to her room, and I left with my car; then two weeks later, left Berk for the mainland because I joined the army. Astrid and I didn't get any closure, so I wondered if it's because of how we left things. And here we are, finally face to face after eight years. I didn't know what I should do or say; I actually felt like I had at fourteen…Speechless around her, not knowing what to do in fear of messing up.

It took me all of freshman year to tell her how I felt, and ask her to be my girlfriend. I was scared she wouldn't feel the same, nervous she would say no…But relieved when that didn't happen. Happy when we got together. That's how I felt right now; scared and nervous. And I felt like Astrid was too, scared and nervous to be facing me after what happened. Well, living on Berk again; I think Astrid and I needed to make what happened water under the bridge. I didn't know what would become of us, but we should at least clear the air between us. Perhaps out in public like this wasn't the best way. My eyes hadn't left Astrid's; after all this time her presence alone was enough to make my heart beat fast.

**. . .**

_=Normal POV=_

"Hiccup…" Astrid whispered after what seemed like an eternity of silence. "Hi…"

"Hey, Astrid," Hiccup replied calmly. "You, uh, are you alright?" he asked, making sure she was steady to stand on her own.

"Y-Yeah…I'm fine…Missed my footing," Astrid turned her head a bit, tucking some of her loose hair behind her ear.

"Still falling for me, are ya?" Hiccup joked, trying to ease the awkwardness.

"Psh, yeah…Pretty sure it was the other way around, Hiccup," Astrid shrugged cockily.

"Oh, excuse me? How could I forget that you're _always_ right," Hiccup rolled his eyes, but smiled.

"Better never forget it, Haddock," Astrid grinned, going to playfully punch his arm, but Hiccup stopped it. "Oh…Not gonna let me hit ya like always?"

"I would, but you tend to hit the right arm, and currently recovering from an injury," Hiccup informed softly.

"I guess I can let ya off the hook this time then, just this once," Astrid winked at him.

"Much appreciated, Milady," Hiccup said. "Bet it's been a while since you've been called that, huh?"

"You're the only one who ever has; it was your nickname for me. That or-," Astrid stared.

"Asty. Elementary school days; then Ast in middle school, and finally, Milady through high school while we dated," Hiccup nodded. "I haven't forgotten,"

"And you've always been Hic through all of them," Astrid laughed a little.

"Or Haddock when you're mad," Hiccup reminded. "Good to see somethings haven't changed…I know it's been a while,"

"Eight years," Astrid nodded, glancing down a bit. "You look good, still a twig. Love the hair; slightly tamed but still wild,"

"Yeah, and look at you…Keeping your hair down finally. Always thought you looked better with it down," Hiccup said as Astrid tried not to blush. "I'll never stop being skinny. But hey…You look good too, Astrid…" Hiccup responded. More silence. "It's…Really great to see you again."

"Same," Astrid stated. Continued silence.

"So, should we get on with the picnic?" Snotlout wondered.

"Uh…You guys go ahead. I gotta call Bludvist and let him know we've landed safely," Hiccup cleared his throat a little.

"Hic, come on…We just got back; this is supposed to be no work," Dagur informed.

"Maybe for you three, but I'm still the platoon leader and have work to do despite being on leave…" Hiccup reminded firmly.

"But son…You've only just gotten back…Can't we spend some time with you?" Stoick inquired. Hiccup glanced at Astrid from the corner of his eye. It still hurt him; it shouldn't, but it did. How easily they were able to talk like friends. Cracking the jokes like they used to. It was as if nothing changed, but Hiccup knew better.

"I suppose I can spare an hour or two," Hiccup sighed. "But I still gotta call in, and I could do with being out of this uniform," he remarked before walking off; then stopping and giving a whistle. "Come on, Toothless," the dog instantly got up and moved beside Hiccup, who rubbed his head, and the two kept walking. Astrid only watched him walk away; she sighed heavily as everyone else watching had noticed something; Hiccup and Astrid still deeply care for one another and it showed in high definition resolution. Perhaps there was a chance to fix them, if only they could get Hiccup and Astrid both past their stubbornness.

**. . .**

_[1:15 pm]_

Almost an hour later; the group of people were all sitting around after eating. Everyone had a drink and was talking to one another. Heather stayed beside Hiccup as Astrid felt she shouldn't interfere; it seemed like Hiccup and Heather had a thing for one another, signaling that Hiccup was over her and moved on with his life. It definitely showed with the fact he went through with joining the army. Hiccup, though, was deep in thought about things; he wanted to talk to Astrid, but it seemed that she was over him and moved on with her life. Neither of them thought that seeing one another after eight years would have such a powerful impact on the others; or such was their separate trains of thought. Hiccup's phone rang as he answered it, and then got up to move away from the group; Heather ended up leaving to use the bathroom.

"Talk to him, Astrid," Ruffnut stated out of the blue.

"Excuse me?" Astrid stared.

"Eight years ago, all you wanted was a chance to explain to Hiccup what happened…Why are you not jumping at the chance to tell him?" Snotlout remarked.

"Because it's been eight years," Astrid mumbled.

"So what; you can still tell him the truth," Tuffnut stated.

"They are right, dear…" Valka chimed in.

"I don't want to kick all that back up again and risk losing the chance at being his friend again…" Astrid looked off to the side.

"But why settle when it's clear you still love him? You've gone on so many dates, had a few relationships and none it stuck because your heart belongs to Hiccup," Fishlegs reminded. Astrid didn't say anything.

"Why settle for friendship when there's a chance you can get him back as-," Adelaide tried.

"He's moved on with his life, and apparently love life…" Astrid said under her breath.

"I'd…Just like to go on record here and speak up about that," Dagur said as Astrid looked at him. "Hiccup and Heather aren't dating,"

"But…They kissed earlier," Astrid pointed out.

"But they aren't together in a relationship, Astrid," Thuggory stated again.

"He still must have a thing for her," Astrid informed.

"They won't date, Astrid," Dagur mentioned firmly, but in a calm tone. Astrid sighed. "Look, Astrid; we've known Hiccup since 2014, alright? Thug, Eret, and me met him on the mainland when we were all going to Reception Week for the army, which is like pre-basic training," Dagur remarked. "Heather and Hiccup met on Family Day at the end of Basic Training, and became friends. But after all training was said and done, and we finally got out stationing orders; it was on Berserker Island. Hiccup has been living with Heather and I since November 2014,"

"Not seeing your point," Astrid replied.

"Their relationship has always been one for siblings, Astrid. Hiccup is practically my brother. And up until right before this third tour was announced; the two of them started getting closer because every other date or relationship that Hiccup has been on since you, has failed," Eret mentioned. Astrid's eyes widened a bit.

"Heather and Hiccup may have little crushes or whatever on each other, but Hiccup's doing the same thing with her that he's done with plenty of other women; he's hesitating because of you," Thuggory remarked.

"Why me? I haven't seen in him in eight years," Astrid huffed.

Heather walked up behind Astrid now and crouched behind her. "Because he still loves you after all this time," Astrid jumped a bit, looking over at a smiling Heather. "Astrid, there's something you should know about Hiccup, okay? He's never stopped loving you. He never moved on. And he never stops thinking about you," Heather informed as Astrid's eyes widened a little. "But he's scared to let you in because you, unfortunately, hurt him and that sticks because he was left with nothing as to why,"

Astrid looked down some. "I never meant to hurt him. And I never meant to say no; I just…Scared myself, panicked, and ran away. By the time I realized what I'd done; he was gone…"

Heather put her hand on Astrid's with a soft smile as Astrid looked back at her. "Then you need to tell him all this, not us,"

"It…Doesn't matter. He obviously wants to be with you," Astrid sighed. "Just let it go…He didn't want to know years ago when he was told it was a misunderstanding. He told his parents he just wanted to put it behind him and move on. There's no point trying to explain now,"

"Astrid, you still need to tell him, alright? You keep saying you want to clear the air, make it all water under the bridge. Ain't gonna happen if you don't grow a pair and talk to him!" Snotlout groaned. "Gods, you two had no trouble communicating when you were together!" Astrid mumbled, but sadly, knew Snotlout was right. They were all right. Astrid needed to talk to Hiccup and get everything off her chest. There was no telling what would happen after they talked, but they needed to. The question was when was the best time? Astrid didn't know where Hiccup was living right now, and there was still the thing with him and Heather. Astrid knew she shouldn't worry about it; if she'd lost Hiccup for good, it was her fault. But maybe if she told Hiccup about freaking out and panicking; he'd understand that she just got a bit scared and reacted badly.

"Talk to him, dear," Valka encouraged lightly, setting her hand on Astrid's hand.

"He's coming back over," Ruffnut informed. Hiccup returned and joined them once more, smiling as he took his seat.

"Sorry about that," Hiccup apologized.

"It's alright, son. I understand the feeling of always getting calls," Stoick laughed a bit.

"Who was it?" Heather smiled.

"The boss," Hiccup replied.

"Captain Bludvist?" Dagur arched a brow.

"Yeah, he was returning my call about landing safely and said to enjoy our leave," Hiccup stated lightly.

"I feel like you're not telling us everything," Eret mentioned.

"Your mood has shifted; that wasn't a good call, was it?" Thuggory wondered.

"It's…Nothing that can be discussed in mixed company," Hiccup informed.

"Ah…Has to do with work then," the three other soldiers nodded, understanding.

"But still…You look miserable all of a sudden…" Dagur pointed out again.

Hiccup sighed. "I just got unofficially promoted to Dragon Platoon leader at the rank of Second Lieutenant," he said softly.

"Dude, that's officer ranks! That's awesome!" Eret exclaimed.

"Yeah, congrats, Hic," Thuggory smiled. Hiccup didn't look excited happy. Dagur put his hand up to them and they silenced.

"So why aren't you happy about it?" Dagur pushed.

"Grimborn has just been confirmed KIA, not Viggo, but Ryker. So Viggo is taking over Viking…And I'm officially in charge of Dragon," Hiccup said with head down.

"I take it you can't tell us with civilians around the details surrounding the death, can you?" Dagur asked. Hiccup shook his head. "What the hell, man…" he sighed.

"This makes…" Thuggory started.

"I know how many this makes it, and I really rather not hear the number aloud if it's all the same to you, Meatsen…" Hiccup muttered.

"Everything will be okay," Heather offered, putting her hand on Hiccup's hand; he didn't seem to respond much to it as Astrid felt a twinge of jealousy go through her. She always used to be the one who comforted Hiccup when he was down. Well, who the hell said she still couldn't? Just because they were broken up didn't mean she couldn't be there for him.

Astrid moved a bit, as she was somewhat near him already. Astrid put her hand on Hiccup's shoulder as he whipped his head up to look at her, as if he recognized her touch. "I know it's hard to lose the people you care about, Hiccup, but just remember that those who no longer walk beside us in the land of the living, fly beside us as guardian angels from Valhalla. They'll always be with you, even if you can't see or hear them anymore," she said gently and sympathetically.

"Copying what I've told you in an attempt to cheer me up?" Hiccup glanced down a bit "I told you that years ago when your uncle passed away overseas…"

"Cheered me up when you said it to me; guess I'm just…Returning the comfort you gave me as it's related to the same thing; losing people in war…" Astrid stated.

"It's kind of working," Hiccup gave a half smile to her. "Yeah, it's helping a bit…" Hiccup admitted. "Thanks, _Ast_," he used her old nickname jokingly.

"Any time, _Hic_," Astrid winked. The two of them laughed a bit.

Heather frowned a bit that Hiccup responded to his ex's comfort over hers. Dagur eyed her strongly, shaking his head and mouthing the word; _stop_. Heather got the hint loud and clear too. Hiccup still loved and cared for Astrid as he had said years ago he always would no matter what. And Dagur had told Heather previously when she and Hiccup started getting a bit closer than friend or siblings, not to be surprised if Hiccup and she ended up the same way all the others had. Hiccup hadn't been able to move on in his love life; the dates and relationships all failed because of his very strong feelings for Astrid through the years even after they'd broken up. Heather kind of had a feeling the minute she was introduced to Astrid that things with Hiccup and her wouldn't work anyway. Living on Berk, it was inevitable that Hiccup and Astrid would see one another again. And Heather realized that she didn't help her own case any by encouraging Astrid to talk to Hiccup about eight years ago. Heather understood that she might have inadvertently opened the door for them to make up and get back together. Big if, but still possible. At the same time; it seemed Hiccup and Astrid were able to still talk, smile, laugh, and offer comfort all on their own because it came naturally to them being old friends and lovers who still had deep feelings for one another so many years later.

Now, the question on everyone's mind was what would happen next and would there be a Hiccup and Astrid again in the near future.


	9. Chapter 9

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**9.**

_=Normal POV=  
[Saturday, 6/11/2022-4:30 pm]  
[Isle of Berk; Bazirk Residence]_

As it was known about months in advance; Dagur and Mala decided to do military housing, off base. The house wasn't ready and all the paperwork needed to be completed still, which is why Heather and Mala came to Berk with the twins to finalize everything. Thankfully; they were moved into the house now. It's was a nice three-bedroom one and a half bathroom, two-level home. There was also a two-car garage and nice-sized, fenced in backyard for the kids to run around and play. Heather and Mala got most everything all set up on their own, but Fishlegs helped some too when Mala and Heather needed some extra hands aside from the movers. Heather would be living with them, obviously, but Hiccup said he'd probably either live with his parents again, or take up military housing on base. Hiccup hadn't yet decided because he still had four months on his deployment, so there was time. As for the next two weeks; he would be staying with Dagur, Mala, Heather, and the twin Bazirk children. Hiccup would be staying in a small room that was likely meant to be a den or office.

The picnic was now over, everyone returned to their homes after saying goodbye. It had been a nice little reunion, mostly chatting and catching up since no one had seen Hiccup in eight years except his parents and Gobber. Snotlout and Adelaide didn't see Hiccup much other than quick visits over the years, and only when Hiccup came home for his leave time from deployments; this was the same for Stoick and Valka, but sometimes, the two of them and Gobber would make the trip to visit Hiccup where ever he was stationed at the time. Now, The Bazirk Family, and Hiccup were at Dagur and Mala's new house.

"Ain't gonna even try to deny how awesome military housing is," Dagur said once he stepped through and door and got a good look around at the house and Mala now lived in.

"Pretty nice," Hiccup agreed. "You only get this level of housing if you're married, through," he added.

"True," Dagur nodded.

"Hiccup," Heather grabbed onto his arm with a broad smile. "You…Want to catch a movie tonight? My room or yours?" she offered.

"Uh, rain check?" Hiccup replied. "I'm…Kind'a just looking to grab a shower and some sleep," he added.

"Alright, no problem," Heather laughed a bit. "See you tomorrow?"

"Probably," Hiccup nodded. "Night, guys," he waved, heading to the room he'd been shown where he could stay for the next two weeks. As soon as Hiccup was out of sight; Dagur faced Heather sternly.

"You need to back off, sis," Dagur stated.

"What am I doing?" Heather inquired.

"You've been awfully clingy to him since he saw Astrid again," Dagur informed.

"I ain't worried about her. Hiccup isn't gonna take her back; it's been eight years, and he's said he doesn't care what happened in the past; she hurt him," Heather responded.

"It doesn't matter, Heather…The interactions between Hiccup and Astrid are proof enough that the feelings between them still run very deeply. And as long as there is love; there is a chance it can mend the wounds and bring them back together," Mala interjected softly.

"Hiccup and I have been talking about getting together. We're the same age, we have a lot in common, we go on dates all the time…Well, at least until the tour came up we did. We e-mail, instant message, and Skype all the time-," Heather started.

"I'm just forewarning you that if you push too much; you're gonna push him away," Dagur cut her off. "You're gonna do the same thing others have, and all he's gonna see is that you're no different,"

"I'm just…Trying to show him that he'd be happy with me," Heather remarked. Unknown to them, Hiccup had actually come back to get something he left in the car, but he happened to overhear the conversation regarding him.

"Heather, you don't get it. The only person Hiccup is ever going to be happy with; is Astrid," Dagur sighed heavily.

"He's happy with me already!" Heather glared slightly.

"For Odin's sake," Dagur facepalmed hard. "Heather, it's always been her, and it always will be. You, as all the others, can't take Astrid's place in his heart and life. Hiccup has said this to you, me, Eret, and Thuggory. Right before the first tour, in fact. No matter where he goes, what he does, or who might be with. Until the day he takes his last breath; he'll always love her,"

"But you can move on and love someone else more," Heather countered.

"Heather! Listen to me! You will fail, like all the others have. And it's not because you've done anything wrong, but due to Hiccup being unable to move on from Astrid. He loves her; he never stopped," Dagur argued.

"It's just because they need to clear the air and put what happened behind them; a lot was left unsaid eight years ago," Heather crossed her arms over her chest. "There was no closure. That's why I told her to talk to him earlier, so it can be officially over and Hiccup can move on with someone else; hopefully me,"

"You're living in a fantasy," Dagur mumbled. "Heather, what do you think is gonna happen when Hiccup and Astrid finally talk? Hm? It seems from what we heard that maybe things were a misunderstanding and Astrid has been patiently waiting all this time to get a chance to tell Hiccup the truth of what happened that day," Dagur enlightened. Hiccup's eyes widened a little. Did all this happen while he was on the phone? Astrid wanted to talk to him about what happened eight years ago? "Heather, once they clear the air and there's no more barrier between them; they are going to end up back together. Mark my words; they will,"

"You don't know that," Heather huffed.

"I know it. Eret and Thuggory know it. Hiccup's parents and unofficial uncle know it. Hiccup's friends even know it. The only people who _don't_ know it are Hiccup and Astrid. It's going to happen, Heather. And if you truly care about Hiccup the way you keep saying you do; you'd let him go. Alright? And maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it doesn't happen. But don't you think you should at least give it a chance and see what happens?" Dagur remarked. Heather didn't say anything. "I'm not telling you what to do, sis; I'm just trying to prepare you for what could happen now that they are back in each other's lives. I don't want to see you put your all into this, despite good intentions to make Hiccup happy, and end up hurt," Dagur kissed her forehead.

Hiccup stood there a moment before saying screw it to whatever he was gonna get and going to his temporary room; he needed to sit down and process what the hell he just listened to. Or maybe get that shower and some sleep; then think about it all tomorrow when he wasn't exhausted. Sighing, Hiccup grabbed a change of clothes, and headed for the bathroom on the second level to shower.

**. . .**

_[Friday, 6/17/2022-5:45 pm]  
[Bazirk Residence]_

Tomorrow would mark one week since Hiccup had been home on his two-week leave, and for Hiccup; he'd spent most of the time with his parents, conversing with Snotlout Adelaide, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut. The biggest thing Hiccup did, though, was think about everything he overheard last Saturday. Hiccup wasn't mad or anything; just confused and unsure of how to react or respond to the information. Eight years had gone by, and apparently everyone thought he and Astrid needed to talk. Sadly, Hiccup had this same desire long before overhearing what he did. What got to Hiccup was Dagur telling Heather that everyone knew he and Astrid would get back together. That was probably the craziest thing Hiccup had heard in eight years. But there was more than just that to take in; it was everything he had heard about interactions, that he and Heather likely wouldn't work out because she and all the other girls were not Astrid.

"I just gotta talk to her and get it over with," Hiccup sighed, finally deciding on a course of action. Hiccup wasn't sure what would happen after they talked, but that couldn't be determined until they spoke; that need to happen first. Hiccup knew how to contact her, despite the time gone by, so he grabbed his phone and went to locate Astrid on Skype, which would start by unblocking her. Once Hiccup did that; he went to send her a message, but he was interrupted by Mala coming to the door and knocked on the frame. "Hi, Mala. Something up?"

"Your friends are here to see you," Mala smiled.

"Thanks," Hiccup slipped his phone away and moved to greet his friends, whoever had come. Hiccup was surprised to see Snotlout, Eret, Thuggory, Fishlegs, and Tuffnut there. Even Dagur. "Uh…Hi?" he waved. "What's up?"

"Come on, get ready," Snotlout informed.

"Where we going?" Hiccup wondered.

"Don't ask question; just do it," Eret mumbled.

"Excuse you; I'm _YOUR_ boss, Trapp," Hiccup reminded. "I ain't going anywhere until I know where and why?"

"We set you up a blind date for tonight," Dagur said.

"Why? Your sister and I were gonna do something tonight," Hiccup stated.

"No, you ain't," Dagur shook his head.

"Thought you said you didn't care if we dated?" Hiccup arched a brow.

"I don't, but we both know you two won't, bro," Dagur sighed. "You like Heather as a little sister; it would never work between you two. Come on, that's how your friendship started; sibling-wise," Hiccup didn't say anything at first. He honestly couldn't argue; it had been playing around on his mind too.

"So, now that it's settled you won't be dating the person who is basically your sister…" Thuggory chuckled.

"Get ready, and move it. You have a date for 6 pm at Drake's Nest; we put it under Haddock," Fishlegs smiled.

"And it would be rude to cancel," Eret said.

"I'm not in the mood tonight," Hiccup informed. "I was…Thinking about messaging Astrid to talk to her," he admitted.

"You can do that anytime. Plus she's busy tonight," Tuffnut said.

"So you got nothing to lose by going," Dagur added in.

"Ugh, you guys are killing with these dates…Fine," Hiccup mumbled as he went to his room and quickly changed into black jeans, a button down green shirt and his brown sneakers. Hiccup grabbed his light brown jacked, wallet, phone, and keys. "Just gonna fail…"

"You don't know that," Tuffnut snickered.

"Now, go; it's already 5:50…" Snotlout ushered. Hiccup eyed his friends, and cousin; they were up to something. "Have a good time!" he called as Hiccup went out the door and left the house once buckling and backing out of the driveway. The guys high-fived and grinned.

"It's perfect that he wants to talk to her…" Fishlegs stated.

"Now, we just gotta hope the girls are doing their part and that this works…" Snotlout looked at them.

"All we can do is hope," Dagur added.

"How mad you think he's gonna be when he figures out it's a set up?" Thuggory wondered. The males shivered at the thought. "Yeah…I feel ya. Let's hope he'll be in a good enough mood not to kill us…Haddock rarely misses," he gulped.

**. . .**

_[5:45 pm]  
[Hofferson Residence]_

"I don't want to go on another blind date!" Astrid glared at Minden, Adelaide, and Ruffnut when the proposed the idea.

"Come on…It's not like you're doing anything else tonight," Minden tried.

"And we already set it up, so go get ready," Ruffnut stated.

"Ugh! Fine, but this is the last one. I'm not doing anymore…" Astrid sighed angrily as she hurried to change and then grab her things.

"We put it under Hofferson!" Ruffnut called.

"So ridiculous," Astrid muttered as she fixed her clothing; a light, slightly off-the-shoulders blue shirt, black leggings and gray, ankle-high UGG boots. Astrid kept her hair down with just a little bit pulled back and in a braid.

"You look great!" Minden clapped her hands.

"It'll be fine, Astrid. Come on, trust us…" Ruffnut tried. "Now, hurry along. Reservation is at 6 pm,"

"Have a good time!" the three girls yelled as Astrid left her parents' house in her car. Ruffnut and Minden left and made sure the door was closed and locked for Astrid, since she clearly forgot to do it. "We're so dead when this is over," the three girls sighed before leaving to get in Minden's car.

"Let's meet up with the boys," Adelaide said as Minden and Ruffnut nodded, and they left to get to Dagur's house.

**. . .**

_[6:00 pm]  
[Drake's Nest]_

Hiccup arrived and headed right inside. "Hello! Welcome to Drake's Nest," greeted an overly cheery voice from the hostess.

"Hi, thanks. Uh…My incredibly nosey friends decided to set me up on a blind date…They said they put it under Haddock?" Hiccup stated, hating it.

"I have you right here, no worries," the woman smiled. "Come, right this way. When your date arrives; we'll bring her right to you,"

"Thanks," Hiccup said, following the woman. Hiccup was taken to back booth and sat down as the menu was set in front of him; then the hostess walked away. Hiccup sighed heavily; he was sure he could survive an hour or so. When he got back, his friends were gonna get told straight up that this was the last time. Hiccup was tired of blind dates and everything; he was beginning to accept that nothing would ever come close to what he had with Astrid. The only one who was close was Heather, but that would never work as Hiccup did see her as more of a sister than a possible lover. Hiccup took a deep breath as he just sat there, and waited.

Back at the podium, Astrid walked in five minutes later. "Hello, welcome to Drake's Nest,"

"Hello," Astrid smiled. "I was told by my pushy friends that they set me up on date and it's under Hofferson?" Astrid informed.

"Right this way, Miss. Your date arrived just a few minutes ago," the woman smiled, having Astrid follow her to the table where Hiccup was. "The waiter will be right over," she said. The sound of her voice got Hiccup to turn his head and see Astrid standing before the table. Likewise, Astrid sat him sitting at the table she'd been led to.

"Hiccup?" Astrid asked.

"Astrid?" Hiccup blinked.

"What are you doing here?" the two of them said at the same time.

"Blind date, set up by Minden and Ruff," Astrid replied.

"Blind…Date as well, set up by the guys…" Hiccup informed. Instantly; it hit them.

"Oh, my Gods!" Astrid covered her mouth.

"Those fuckers set us up on a blind date with each other!" Hiccup growled a bit. Hiccup sighed. "I'm sorry, Ast; I…Had no idea. We don't have to do this, and as soon as I get back to Dagur's I'm whopping all their asses…"

"Well…I mean, we're already here," Astrid shrugged. "I was at home thinking about what to do for dinner anyway…Want to just…Stay and eat?" she offered.

"Guess there's no harm in it…I could eat," Hiccup responded. "Um…Sit, please?" he motioned to the spot across from him. Astrid slid into the seat and set her purse down beside her leg. "So…How's life?" he asked the obvious question.

"Average, I guess. I, uh, finished college a week ago today," Astrid smiled.

"That's great for you. You went for…Vet, right?" Hiccup inquired.

Astrid nodded. "Yeah, that's right. I forget how good your memory is," she laughed a bit. "I'm also a CNA," she added.

"Must be busy," Hiccup stated.

"Well, I did CNA as place-holder, I suppose. Way to work, and pay for college," Astrid informed lightly.

"Do what you gotta do," Hiccup agreed. "How are your parents?"

"Both good. Still married, obviously," Astrid replied. "How about yours, and Gobber?"

"Good, all good," Hiccup responded gently.

"So your job…Went with the military after all?" Astrid wondered.

"Seems like the right place for me after some debating with myself after everything…" Hiccup said softly. The waiter came over smiling.

"Hi, folks. My name is Ander. Can I start you with something to drink?" Ander asked.

"Ladies first," Hiccup offered.

"Uh…Mountain Dew, please?" Astrid asked.

"Certainly, and for you, sir?" Ander inquired.

"Carona, with lime, please," Hiccup handed the waiter his license, knowing that question was coming next. The man smiled, nodding, and handed the card back. Hiccup put it away in his wallet, and returned the object to his back pocket.

"I'll be right back with those for you," Ander smiled and walked off.

"Didn't take you for a drinker," Astrid chuckled.

"Not often, but now and then," Hiccup shrugged.

"I'm not knocking it," Astrid stated. "So…What's the story with you having a dog because he's adorable,"

"Oh, Toothless?" Hiccup smiled. "He's a military dog; used for sniffing out buried bombs, sensing others around, stuff like that," Hiccup informed lightly. "I got him right after the first tour, wasn't given a choice and since I was the highest ranking between my unit, made up of Dag, Eret, Thug, and me; I got the lucky job of being his handler. Toothless was a rough dog to work with in the beginning; very distrusting to others, snappy, etc. But…I worked with him, and I guess we're besties now," he laughed a little. "Follows me everywhere, and I think right after the second tour; I adopted him as mine. Took a bit of fight to do that legally, but since he won't listen to anyone except me…Made sense that I'd keep him,"

"So…Why the name Toothless?" Astrid arched a brow.

"No idea; just kind'a came to me and he responded during training. The name stuck," Hiccup shrugged.

"What kind of dog is he? I can definitely see Husky," Astrid pondered.

"Husky/Wolf, actually," Hiccup corrected.

"Well, I was half right," Astrid giggled a bit.

"You usually weren't wrong from what I recall," Hiccup chuckled.

"Shut up," Astrid mumbled playfully. The waiter returned, setting the drinks down and smiling.

"Have we decided on our meals this evening?" Ander pulled his pad out.

"Uh…Chicken Farfalle, please?" Astrid replied.

"Seafood Gorgonzola," Hiccup stated, handing both menus to Ander.

"Excellent choices, I'll go put that in and have it out soon for you," Ander then walked away again.

Hiccup and Astrid were quiet a few moments, sort of taking everything in. The scenery, lighting, atmosphere in general. It was nice for them to be able to sit and talk normal, but there was unspoken tension between them and a slight awkwardness to be on a _date_. There was no other way to put as their friends set this entire thing up to get them alone with no one else around. Hiccup wondered if this was their attempt to get the two of them to talk; it had to be. Why else would Dagur outright state not to bother dating Heather, and pushed the date so hard? Hiccup mentioned wanting to talk to Astrid, and they still pushed things. What else was Hiccup left to believe? Hiccup knew they needed to talk, no matter what; it had to be tonight.

For Astrid, she too had wanted to speak to Hiccup, but unfortunately had no way of contacting him. Tonight might be her only chance, and not to mention. Hiccup would be returning to war for another four months next week. Sure, there was no telling what would happen after this between them. Astrid wanted Hiccup back; another chance to right what she wronged eight years ago. But, if nothing else; she would take friendship and at least have him in her life that way. Perhaps this would bring them together, or it would help them move on finally. But above all else; they needed to talk. Astrid didn't want to lose her chance to speak with Hiccup, so it had to be tonight.


	10. Chapter 10

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**10.**

_=Normal POV=  
[Friday, 6/17/2022-6:40 pm]  
[Isle of Berk; Bazirk Residence]_

Hiccup and Astrid's friends, along with Hiccup's soldier friends were all at Dagur and Mala's house to semi-hang out and eat dinner. Mala had made a large pot roast with potatoes and carrots; there was also garlic bread too. With everyone now finished and just sitting around as they had started dinner right after Hiccup left, then Ruffnut and Minden arriving; they decided to break the silence and get to the obvious question on everyone's mind.

"I'll start it…How does everyone thinks it's going?" Ruffnut spoke up first.

"Well…Both of them agreed to go on their blind date we set up, not knowing who the other person was…" Snotlout informed.

"Astrid agreed, but said this was the last time she was doing this," Minden interjected.

"That's fine because we want them to talk anyway, and hopefully; this will do the trick," Dagur stated.

"Want who to talk?" came Heather's voice as she came in; the others knew she had work tonight. Heather was a lawyer, and the office she worked in closed at 4:00 pm. Apparently, she had some other things to do to get home this late, though.

"Hiccup and Astrid," Fishlegs informed. "We set them up on a blind date with each other,"

"What?!" Heather screeched.

"Enough, sis," Dagur stared firmly. "You and Hiccup aren't going to be boyfriend and girlfriend because you're too much like sister and brother. Alright? Just let the idea go. Hiccup's heart belongs to Astrid, and hers belongs to him. We all had a big conversation about how Hiccup's and Astrid's lives have gone since the breakup,"

"And it comes down to neither of them being able to move on with anyone else; the dates and relationships just fail because their hearts aren't fully in it," Thuggory added in.

"The two of them need to talk, whether they get back together or not," Snotlout said.

"It's either going to clear the air for them to move on, or open the door to get back together," Eret shrugged.

"How…Are things going with them?" Heather mumbled, sitting down on the couch.

"We don't know. Neither of them have messaged in, so safe to assume they figured out they were each other's dates and decided to continue…" Tuffnut mentioned.

"Also, don't forget that Hiccup said he wasn't in the mood for a date because he planned to message Astrid himself and ask her if they could meet up to talk," Fishlegs put a finger up, remembering what Hiccup told them before the date.

"Yeah, that too. So…They are probably talking over dinner right now as we speak," Dagur nodded.

**. . .**

_[Drake's Nest]_

Hiccup and Astrid already received their food; it came about ten minutes after they placed the order and then the two of them spent that time enjoying their drinks, the bread with olive oil on the table, and just talking. The topics were basic, and stuck to small responses. As the food had arrived just five minutes ago, the two former lovers hadn't spoken a word to one another.

"So…What made you change your mind about joining the military?" Astrid broke the silence.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Hiccup inquired.

"I knew you always wanted to join, but then in senior year; it seemed like the desire tapered off, and then you…Suddenly joined after graduation," Astrid wondered.

"The desire never faded to join, Astrid. It was the only job I wanted. I…Put the opportunity behind me for you because I knew you didn't like the idea of me joining," Hiccup informed.

"I would have supported you, whether I liked it or not, Hiccup," Astrid reminded.

"I know, but people in love make sacrifices…And mine was to find another career that would allow me to be home for you," Hiccup said as Astrid pushed her food around with her fork a bit.

"And then everything happened, so you…Changed your mind?" Astrid questioned.

"Yeah, I figured that since we were over…And some distance might do us some good; joining the military was the best choice," Hiccup shrugged.

"How come you didn't want anyone telling me anything?" Astrid looked down a little.

Hiccup sighed. "I didn't want you to stay hung up on me," Astrid's eyes widened a little, looking at Hiccup now. "I knew that fresh off the breakup; you knowing I decided to join the military would make you worried about me, as the idea of me joining made you concerned for my safety…I just thought it was better, for both of us, not to have any contact or know anything about the other person. Just a clean break, and going about our lives, separately,"

"I…Suppose that makes sense," Astrid agreed, understanding why Hiccup didn't want her knowing anything now. "I…Never really moved on,"

"No?" Hiccup looked at her questioningly. "Neither did I. Like…I still went on dates, had a couple of short relationships…Something held me back from moving on completely,"

"Same," Astrid stated softly. Silence between them again.

Hiccup put his fork down and sighed heavily. "Astrid, look…I think we should talk…About what happened eight years ago because I feel like we both…Never got any closure,"

"You feel that way too?" Astrid asked as Hiccup nodded. "Me as well," she revealed.

"I…Happened to overhear a conversation between Dagur and Heather last week regarding us…Everyone keeps saying we should talk, so…I think we should," Hiccup responded. "If you want a truth, before this whole blind date thing was set up; I was planning to message you and ask if we could meet up to talk,"

"Really?" Astrid stared.

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah. I just…Don't think this is the place to do it. Why…Don't we box this up, and head to Dagur and Mala's place? We can talk in my temporary room there, and eat?"

"That sounds okay," Astrid agreed. Hiccup lifted his hand to call over Ander; he strolled over with a smile.

"How is everything?" Ander asked.

"Bigger portions than expected. Two boxes and the check please?" Astrid smiled back.

"Certainly," Ander nodded as he hurried to get two boxes; he took care of the transfer from plate to the to-go box, and then he set the check down. Hiccup grabbed it before Astrid could as he set $35.00 in the folder and handed it back.

"It's all set, thank you," Hiccup informed as he got up, grabbing the bag with box boxes. Astrid got up and made sure she had her purse. "What? Don't give me that look,"

"I could have paid for mine," Astrid muttered.

"I know you could have, but I paid for both, so deal with it. Come on; you can follow me to Dagur and Mala's house," Hiccup stated. Astrid nodded, getting to her car and then following when Hiccup left in his.

**. . .**

_[7:00 pm]  
[Bazirk Residence]_

Hiccup parked in his spot, and Astrid right behind him. The two got out and headed for the door. "Seems the others are all here," Hiccup pointed out.

"Probably waiting to find out how things went between us," Astrid sighed; then grinned a bit. "Think we should play with them a bit?"

"I'm so glad you and I can think on the same wave length still. Follow my lead," Hiccup said as Astrid nodded. Hiccup opened the door and walked in first.

"Hey, you're back!" Heather smiled.

"Yes, we are," Hiccup informed as Astrid came in beside him smiling.

"Hi," Astrid waved as Hiccup closed the door.

"Astrid and I ran into one another at the restaurant, and since both of our dates didn't show; we decided to have dinner together," Hiccup mentioned.

"Yeah? S-So how did things go?" Adelaide inquired.

"So good that we decided to keep the night going," Astrid beamed, linking her hand with Hiccup's. "Hiccup invited me over, so we could keep talking and having a nice time," she added.

"Come on, Ast," Hiccup started for his room.

"Well, see you later," Astrid giggled, walking with Hiccup. The two of them got inside Hiccup's room as he closed the door.

"I have no comment to what I just witnessed," Eret spoke up first.

"You and me both," Thuggory nodded.

"At least their on good terms…" Minden shrugged. Inside Hiccup's room; the two of them were laughing a bit.

"Worth it," Hiccup said. Astrid took in the room; it looked like a den or office; there was a twin-sized bed against the wall, a night stand and dresser. No closet, but there was a computer desk and love-seat type couch with a table in front of it. "You can have a seat on the couch if you want, or the bed…Doesn't matter," he invited. Astrid decided to go with the couch, attempting to not make it awkward by sitting on the bed. Hiccup grabbed them both a beer from the mini-fridge and sat down beside her while setting the food on the table before them. "Alright…" he took a deep breath. "Let's talk about what happened eight years ago. I…Know what happened on my side of things, but everyone keeps saying or believing that you wanted a chance to talk to me and now you have it…So what's going on?"

"Hiccup…First of all; I feel I should start with how sorry I am," Astrid looked down. "And I need you to know that I did not mean to hurt you so deeply," she added.

Hiccup flinched a bit, having not expected to hear that. "Mom tried to tell me that I didn't understand…I refused to listen eight years ago. Is this…What she meant? You never meant to hurt me?"

Astrid nodded. "Hiccup…The night you proposed to me was just so unexpected. We'd…Just finished making love, you were getting ready to leave before my parents got home at 11 pm…And then you just popped the question. I was…Shocked, and…I got scared; I panicked and ran away," she informed softly.

"Astrid…What do you mean you got scared? Of what? Marrying me?" Hiccup questioned.

"I don't know," Astrid sighed. "I mean; I do, but I don't. There were a lot of factors that sprang forward and scared me. I just…Wanted to get away to think and process things," she admitted.

"Astrid…I would have given you time to think about it if that's what you needed…" Hiccup stated.

"I know, Hiccup…But like I said; I just…Panicked. I said no and ran…But that's not what I meant," Hiccup arched a brow at her words. "The truth everyone is talking about is that I realized the mistake I made as soon as I heard you leave the house and drive away…" Astrid confessed as Hiccup's eyes widened a little.

"What?" Hiccup asked in a tone of shock and disbelief.

"I realized as soon as you left that I made a huge mistake," Astrid repeated. "I beat myself up for two weeks; hating myself for what I did when I didn't mean to hurt you like that. Hiccup, you have to know that I never meant to hurt you, and you'll never know how sorry I am that I did. I didn't mean to say no; I didn't mean to run away," Astrid began to get a little worked up, which Hiccup was not used to seeing her do. Astrid was always a very strong woman, and if she cried; it was because of something big.

"Why didn't you come talk to me?" Hiccup inquired. "Why didn't you call, text, visit…Anything? Why didn't you come tell me you made a mistake?!" Hiccup pushed.

"I was scared…" Astrid looked down.

Hiccup couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You not saying a word to me is why I left, Astrid," he informed as Astrid looked at him. "I left because you didn't come talk to me. After you said no and ran off; I figured maybe you needed some time to get your head together. I fully expected a call or text from you saying you needed time, and I was happy to give that to you. But you didn't say anything, so I took it as you really meant no, and running away as you didn't want what we had anymore. I took all of two days to decide to join the military and then I spent that entire two weeks signing up and swearing in. I shipped out for Reception, Basic, and Advanced Training on the 30th of June. Just…Fifteen days after our breakup," Hiccup mentioned. "Astrid…Why were you scared to come talk to me? All our years of friendship, our three-year relationship…We never had an issue communicating about anything. Why, when it was something this big, would you be afraid to come talk to me?" Hiccup asked.

"Because I knew I'd hurt you…And I didn't want to make you mad or more upset by instantly chasing you after accidentally rejecting your marriage proposal…" Astrid looked down, closing her eyes.

"Astrid, chasing me is exactly what I'd hoped for. You not chasing me gave me that assumption that I got, so that's why I left. I joined the military for a job, and it got me off of Berk. I left to move on…" Hiccup looked down. "But I can't because I'm still stuck on June 15th, 2014; the day you told me no and ran away from me. I know we can't change what happened…But Astrid, for Odin's sake…Please tell me why you said no and ran if that's not what you meant? Please? I have to know…"

"We'd just graduated high school…You proposed out of the blue when we'd never even discussed getting married. I panicked and over-thought everything regarding the subject," Astrid confessed.

"What do you mean?" Hiccup asked.

"Hiccup, we were eighteen-years-old…We just graduated…I don't know. I don't know, okay? To this day; I can't figure out why all that made me panic. All I know is that I didn't come talk to you because I tried to figure it out. Why I freaked out and over-thought the situation. I didn't want us to talk until I had a clear head, so I wouldn't do what I'm doing right now where nothing I say makes sense. All I figured out after two weeks was that I fucked up, Hiccup. And I knew that the night you left my house, but like I said; I wanted to work out why I did what I did. I ended up with nothing and left it on the fact it didn't matter. None of it mattered because I love you, and I want a life with you. I raced to your house on the 30th, because I was going to beg you to forgive you; tell you I wanted to get married…But I learned you left…And I've waited eight years to be able to tell you all this…" Astrid explained.

"So you just got panicked about being married young? That's what it was all about?" Hiccup asked.

"I know…It's stupid…And look what it caused?...All this because I panicked over a silly reason that ended up not mattering…" Astrid looked down again.

"Astrid…It's not a stupid reason. What was stupid was that you believed you couldn't come talk to me…That you were afraid to. If…You had sent me any form of communication, saying that you didn't mean to do what you did, but needed some time to figure things out; the entire outcome of that situation would have changed. If you had told me your concerns; things would have been different. Just because you say yes to a proposal doesn't mean we had to get married right away…We could have waited as long as you wanted; I wouldn't have minded as long as I knew that I still got to get married to you at the end of it. But you didn't give me anything except silence. And that hurt more than you saying no. That's why I didn't listen to anyone when they tried to tell me everything was a misunderstanding. I didn't want to hear it from them and it wasn't about things being a misunderstanding with what you said, or your intentions…It was the fact you didn't chase me. You didn't talk to me,"

"Hiccup…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…You know if I could turn back time; I'd change the mistake I made…I beat myself up everyday knowing I messed up and lost you…" Astrid lowered her head and started crying. "All I've wanted is the chance to explain things…To beg your forgiveness and get another chance to fix what I broke, right what I wronged…The first time in my life I'm ever wrong and it cost me you. It cost me a life with you, and your love. All the dates I've been on, the people I dated…None of them are you. I can't move on, not because things between us were left the way they were, but because my heart belongs to you. I love you, Hiccup,"

Hiccup's eyes widened a bit, seeing her cry but realizing that she just confessed to still loving him, and being unable to move on because of that love for him being so strong. A point that she didn't want anyone but him in her life. The sad thing was; Hiccup felt the same way about her. And he realized it now that them talking wasn't going to help him move on. It cleared the air from that day eight years ago, but Hiccup couldn't move on because he wanted her. Hiccup loved Astrid and wanted her. Despite all the time gone by, everything that happened; Hiccup knew exactly what he wanted. Hiccup had prayed to the Gods for this; Astrid still wanting and loving him; he had that, and he felt it for her. Was he going to let it pass him by knowing what he did? Absolutely not.

Hiccup gently grabbed Astrid's hand, pulling her closer to him. Astrid looked at Hiccup, but before she could ask what he was doing; his lips crashed against her in a passionate kiss. And though shocked, Astrid did nothing more than close her eyes and kiss Hiccup back fully.


	11. Chapter 11

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**11.**

_=Normal POV=  
[Friday, 6/17/2022-7:30 pm]  
[Isle of Berk; Bazirk Residence]_

Neither of them cared that they were kissing for the first time in eight years, or the fact they weren't even dating right now. Hiccup finally got the answers he wanted out of the explanation Astrid had been wanting to give all this time. When Hiccup saw her crying after confessing to still loving him; it felt right to kiss her. And if Hiccup felt like that's what needed to happen; he went along with it, and that's where they were right now. Hiccup and Astrid were still kissing; it was deep, intimate, passionate like the kisses they used to share before leading into making love to one another. Hiccup used one free hand to cup her cheek, and Astrid just let him. The kiss set their hearts and bodies on fire; the passion and everything they had before reigniting and bursting out of control. When Hiccup wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her closer to him; they fell back on the couch, still making out.

"We…Have to stop, Astrid…" Hiccup murmured against her lips. He wanted her. Gods, he did, but it wasn't right to do it this way.

"D-Do we?" Astrid whimpered a little.

"Yes…You know we do. B-Before it goes too far," Hiccup stated.

"Wouldn't…Be the first time we just do it," Astrid reminded.

"Ast, babe…Is that really how you want us fixing things to go? Starting with sex?" Hiccup asked. Astrid knew he was right. "I'm not disagreeing with you, but…Let's…" Hiccup stopped, groaning as he felt himself start getting hard. "Fuck…We gotta stop…We have to now or I'm just gonna take you. I don't…Want things to go that way. We still…Need to talk about some things…"

"I know…" Astrid replied. After a final kiss shared, Astrid pushed herself off him and Hiccup sat up. The two of them were blushing like mad as Astrid tucked her hair behind her ear and they didn't look at one another. "Sorry…" she cleared her throat a bit.

"My fault…I kissed you first…" Hiccup admitted, clearing his throat.

"I just realized that you…Called me babe," Astrid mentioned.

"Felt right," Hiccup told her lightly. "To say it, given the circumstances," he added.

"Yeah…" Astrid nodded. "Did you…Mean what you said about fixing things?"

"Astrid, I'm not going to lie to you; I never have. Much like what you said to me; I couldn't move on with anyone else because they weren't you. I couldn't just…Put you behind me and move on. Seven years ago, right before my first tour of duty to Syria for a year…I told Heather, Dagur, Eret, and Thuggory about my past with you; what ultimately made my decision to join the military. I made a statement about what I did being the best choice for me, and Heather came back with asking me if I was sure about that. Then adding that I still loved you. I made it clear to her and the guys what my response was," Hiccup informed.

"What…Did you say?" Astrid wondered.

"She always has a special place in my heart and life. No matter what I do, where I go, who I might be with, or how many years pass; until I take my last breath, I'll always love Astrid Hofferson," Hiccup repeated. "I continue to stand by that, years on, Astrid. I-," he started to say before he was interrupted by his cell phone ringing. "Hang on," he pulled the device from his pocket and checked the ID. Hiccup tensed a little seeing that it was Viggo.

"What's wrong?" Astrid asked, seeing his worried face.

"Please…Please don't be another death," Hiccup whispered as he answered the call and set it to his ear. "Haddock here," a pause. "What? Hang on, I can hardly hear you," he got up, leaving the bedroom. Astrid was worried and followed him, not surprised to see everyone still in the living room. And now finding Gobber, Stoick, and Valka there. Hiccup brought the phone down and looked at the screen to see that the call was lost. "Damn…Lost him,"

"What's up, Hiccup?" Dagur asked.

"Viggo just called, but the call dropped," Hiccup informed as he tried to call back twice. "He's not answering,"

"Isn't he in Iraq?" Eret asked.

"Yeah; he should be by now. He was only in the Archipelago for a few days for the funeral of his brother," Hiccup nodded. "Hang on…" Hiccup pressed a button on the side of the phone until he beeped; once it did that, he brought it closer to his mouth like a radio. "Hunter Chief, Hunter Chief; this is Night Fury, over," Hiccup released the button.

"Uh…" a few of those in the room started.

Suddenly, there were two beeps in return. _**"Night Fury, this is Hunter Chief. How copy? Over," **_came a male voice, likely Viggo.

"Three out of five. How do you read? Over," Hiccup replied.

"_**Reading you three out of five, Night Fury. You need to-,"**_ Viggo started. There was gunfire and two loud consecutive explosions. Hiccup instantly looked at Dagur, Eret, and Thuggory; the four of them were looking at each other with concern. _**"Son of a-Forget it! Haddock, come back. Like now!"**_

Hiccup's eyes widened a bit. "What the hell is going on? Are you radioing me while on a mission?! The captain will have your head,"

"_**This is Bludvist. Grimborn was radioing you on my orders to do so. Now; we have limited time to speak and there's a situation that requires your immediate attention. So, go pack your stuff and get back here on the double, Lieutenant Haddock. Is that understood, soldier?" **_Drago ordered.

"Sir, yes sir," Hiccup said firmly. "Wait, my immediate attention?" he asked.

"_**Need your specific skill set for a mission. Bring Toothless too. A chopper is coming to your on-file residence in one hour to take you to Berk Base; then you're catching a jet here. Your team can remain on their leave," **_Dragon informed.

"Wait, we're his team; we go with him everywhere!" Dagur argued.

"_**Not this time, boys. Enjoy the rest of your time off. Those orders came from HQ, so don't go disobeying them. Haddock, start getting ready. We promise we'll make it up to you for cutting into your leave," **_Drago stated.

"Don't worry about it, Captain. I'll be ready. See you in a few hours. Haddock over and out," Hiccup responded before pressing the side button as it give a beep and he slipped it into his pocket. "Toothless!" the dog poked his head out Hiccup's room. "Pack up, bud!" the dog responded with a bark.

"What's going on, son?" Stoick asked.

"Okay, you're not supposed to know…But I don't want to hear it over and over again, so I'm gonna tell you, and then you're gonna shush and leave it alone. Got it? No questions, no discussions," Hiccup stated as the group nodded. Hiccup took a deep breath. "There's a reason I've been jumping ranks outside of the typical requirements to earn them. There's a reason I don't always join you for normal training. And the reason is that I'm a Special Operations Soldier. I lead a second team that handles higher priority missions, and that's what I'm being called back early for. Bludvist doesn't order these; he just passes the message; I get these from Military Headquarters, and I can't say no," he explained.

"We kind'a had a feeling you were," Eret stated.

"Enlighten me," Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"Dude, you just said it," Thuggory mumbled.

"Not always part of training, jumping ranks, leaving in the middle of the night because you _can't sleep and need to clear your head_ then come back looking like you went through a landmine field…Yeah, we knew something was up and figured you weren't gonna tell us, so we left it alone," Dagur replied.

"Huh…You guys do know me," Hiccup blinked. "Well, yeah…There you go. I'm an SOS," Hiccup shrugged. "I should probably go pack," he said.

Heather got up to hold his hand. "Be safe, okay? We can still talk about things with us when you get back right?" Heather inquired. Hiccup saw Dagur facepalm hard and assumed it had something to do with the fact he'd told her already that things between them wouldn't work out.

"Uh…" Hiccup rubbed the back of his head a little. "About that…" Hiccup started as his eyes fell on Astrid for a moment; then he sighed. "Look, Heather…I don't…Think it's gonna work out with you and me. It's…Nothing against you; you're great…And I'm sure you're gonna be somebody's special someone…But, you're not mine. I see you as more of a friend or sister than a lover…I…Hope we can keep what we have now as friends, or siblings…If not, I understand completely,"

Heather looked at Hiccup, then at Astrid before sighing. "You…Want her back, don't you?" Heather asked.

"Yeah, I-I think I do," Hiccup admitted, totally shocking Astrid with the confession. "We talked about things, and-," Heather put a hand up to have him be quiet.

"You don't need to explain, Hiccup; I understand. I suppose I had a feeling this could happen with you being on Berk, having mutual friends between you two. I saw how you two interacted last Saturday at the park, almost an instant click to see one another again. So you don't need to explain it to me; thank you for being honest, though," Heather smiled softly with her hand on his chest. "Thank you…For the chance at least, and being honest. I just want you to be happy, doesn't matter if that's with me, Astrid, or someone else,"

"Sort of in my nature to do that…" Hiccup nodded. Hiccup faced Astrid. "As for you," he paused as Astrid tensed. "We've waited eight years. Honestly; I'm not gonna be able to focus at all on work if we don't settle this before I go…" Hiccup sighed as he looked at her seriously. "I've been on plenty of dates, had a few relationships…But they aren't you," Astrid's eyes widened a bit. "I wasn't happy, not like I am with you. Astrid, eight years went by and the first time we see one another again; we were able to laugh and joke as if nothing changed. I'll never have that with anyone else. What you told me before I kissed you; being unable to move on because you love me…I feel the same. It's not because we never cleared the air or didn't have closure; it's just because we have something special that can't be stopped…All this time we've only needed each other,"

"Don't you mean we _had_?" Astrid inquired.

"I know what I said," Hiccup retorted. "Not had, still have or we wouldn't be able to act like we used to," he informed. "Astrid, I'm gonna be dead serious with you…Alright?"

"Okay," Astrid nodded.

"I want you back," Hiccup said firmly. Astrid's eyes widened a little. "I want us back. We've still got the friendship, and the mutual feelings for one another. You admitted to that, and so have I. You're the girl I proposed to because I wanted to spend the rest of my life with only you, and eight years has not changed my desires. No matter anything; this is where I've ended up. You and me in each other's lives where nothing has changed. We talked, we cleared the air, and I get your side as I hope you get mine now…" Hiccup continued.

"I do…" Astrid replied.

"Do you still want to be with me?" Hiccup asked.

"Yes. Gods, yes, more than anything," Astrid responded.

"The one thing I gotta make sure of, though…Before we go doing this, and it's only because of how against it you were before, despite saying you'd support it…Are you cool with me in the military, Astrid? Like dead serious question…I know it seems like a stupid thing to ask, but it's kind of a make it or break it deal for me and us getting back together…" Astrid stared at him as everyone was quiet.

"It's…Not stupid…" Astrid said softly.

"I've been in eight years as of two days ago, and served two full tours…In four months; it becomes three. Okay…I'm not gonna lie to you about what I do for work; I'm always training, and if not doing that on an island base, or the mainland base…I'm fighting in wars. I'm an active duty soldier for the United Islands of the Barbaric Archipelago Military; I'm in the army at the current rank of Second Lieutenant," Hiccup informed sternly as he could already see the concern and worry in her eyes. "I can be called to train or fight any time, even if I just got back. As you well saw; it can happen any time, fair or not. I can be wounded, and I can end up killed…" he saw Astrid tense up nervously, biting her bottom lip. "Tell me the truth; are you okay with us being together and me being in the military?"

"Can…We still talk and stuff while you're doing all your military duties? You won't just…Disappear and go months or years without making contact, will you?" Astrid questioned after finding her voice.

"You and me not being in contact these past years was because of the break up, and I didn't want you being unable to move on with your life because of you worrying about me," Hiccup reminded.

"Well, I worried about you anyway," Astrid stated.

"I…Actually have no rebuttal to that. But my response to the contact thing is this; I cannot make promises that we'll be able to text and stuff like we used to before I joined. I can promise that I'm home every night, unless it's drill weekend or I'm deployed. I can't talk all during the day, and deployed…I really can't make that call because it gets crazy over there. The only thing I can't tell you is that I'll do my best no matter where I am. And I'll keep you up to date on things to the best of my ability…" Hiccup replied.

Astrid took a deep breath, glancing off to the side. "I need to know if you're okay with dating me and knowing I'm in the army, Astrid. I already resigned my contract of service for another six years; I did it on Monday since it needed to be done before the end of June, and honestly; I didn't think this whole…Possibility of getting back together thing was gonna happen. And your answer right now, Astrid; it plays a big role in us getting back together. I know you'd support me, but this is more of a question about if you can handle me being in the military…" Hiccup added in after taking a short breath.

"It's…Hard to gage, Hiccup. Yes, you know I'd always support the things you want to do…But I know nothing about being the lover of a soldier…" Astrid admitted. "Do I have to do anything different? Like…I'm just confused on that position,"

"All you need to do is understand that I'm a soldier twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week no matter what. That means, that while I'm your boyfriend, fiancé, husband even…If I get the call; I go. It could be for a meeting, it could be training, or it could be another deployment. Like I said; I've been on three in the last eight years. They can be as short as six months, and as long as eighteen months. I could go to one war, and immediately ship to another back to back. You don't have to do anything differently, except understand my duties as a soldier," Hiccup explained.

"Is it…Hard being with a soldier?" Astrid inquired.

"Well, I've been mostly single through my time in the service, so I can't really give you an accurate answer. But…You can always ask Mala; she and Dagur go through all that, and they have kids. But I can tell you that they make it work because they love one another, and their family. There is…Love, understanding, trust, and communication, as all relationships require," Hiccup enlightened. Astrid nodded, understanding. "Can you handle me being in the army?"

Astrid knew she had to answer him, and while she didn't like it; she loved Hiccup more than anything. And Astrid waited eight years to explain to Hiccup her mistake; he'd forgiven her, and the bonus was that there was now a chance to get back together because the love between them was still strong as ever. But the one stipulation was her being okay and handle Hiccup in the army now. She knew he couldn't, and wouldn't just quit for her. Hiccup made the sacrifice once when they dated the first time; he wasn't going to join for her. Astrid felt it was only right, and fair to make the sacrifice this time. Astrid would support Hiccup being in the army, and one way or another as many other couples and families did; they would make it work.

"Yes," Astrid finally said. "I can handle it, and support you fully, Hiccup,"

Hiccup smiled, and breathed a sigh of relief while intertwining his fingers with hers. "Then I see no reason why we can't get back together," Hiccup informed gently. Astrid smiled, locking her fingers with his. "Just remember that I leave in literally fifty minutes now, Ast. I'm probably not gonna be back until it's over,"

"I had actually forgotten you were on leave," Astrid stated. "Only for four months, though, right?"

"Yes; we'll be back sometime in October. Not sure on the official date yet," Hiccup nodded.

"And…You're stationing in Berk?" Astrid questioned.

"Correct," Hiccup replied. Toothless came out with a small duffel bag which had in it a leash, his food bowls, and a camo vest. "Good boy, Toothless," Hiccup rubbed the top of his head; then zipped up the bag. "Oh, and you gotta be fine with Toothless; we're a package deal," he chuckled.

"Who wouldn't be okay with him? He's adorable," Astrid reached over to rub Toothless's head, making the dog pant and change to standing beside her, and sitting calmly. "Aw,"

"I've never seen him take to someone so easily before. Even Eret, Dagur, and Thuggory took Toothless almost six months to even tolerate them being near and touching him," Hiccup smiled.

"Maybe he senses that you're happy with me?" Astrid offered.

"It is very possible," Hiccup nodded. "Well…I should go pack," he added, checking his watch.

"Can I help at all?" Astrid inquired.

"Sure; you're probably more organized than I am at packing," Hiccup smiled. "Come on," he offered his hand as Astrid took it and the two of them returned to the bedroom.

"You alright, sis?" Dagur questioned.

"Hm? Oh, I'm fine. Like you said; it never would have worked between us. Even without the sibling-like relationship," Heather smiled. "Their hearts only belong to each other," she added.

**. . .**

_[8:30 pm]_

It had been an interesting night, to say the least. What started out as setting up Hiccup and Astrid on a blind date to just talk had turned into Hiccup getting sent back to Iraq a week early, and it seemed that he and Astrid were getting back together as a couple. No one ever heard an official statement saying the two were dating again; it was more of Hiccup saying that he wanted Astrid back, and her wanting to be with him again, but Hiccup's stipulation was that she had to support him being in the military, be able to handle him being in the army which meant a lot of work, and sometimes being away from each other for extended periods if Hiccup was deployed. It seemed Astrid was able to do what Hiccup was asking for, and he said he saw no reason they couldn't be together, but did that make it official? Truthfully, the others in the Bazirk home were desperately hoping to see Hiccup and Astrid become a couple and kiss. Everyone was really hoping for the kiss.

The hour ticked right by; Astrid helped Hiccup pack, and he changed into his uniform. Everyone was sitting together, chatting a bit as the sound of a chopper was heard coming closer. "I…Guess that's my ride," Hiccup stood up, grabbing his bags, and Toothless's while heading outside. To be on the safe side; this was happening over the main street, which two cop cars stopping traffic from passing while everything happened.

"Lieutenant Haddock?" asked the person who opened the back sliding door.

"That's me," Hiccup replied.

"Pass up your bags," he called. Hiccup passed up his and Toothless's bags. "Now the dog," he instructed.

"Watch out," Hiccup said as the man stepped aside. "Toothless, ya ready, pal?" the dog barked at him. Hiccup crouched down as Toothless backed up; then barked once in position. "Go, bud!" Hiccup yelled. Toothless darted forward in a run and got on Hiccup's back as he lifted up fast and Toothless jumped off Hiccup's back up into the helicopter. "Good work, Toothless! Sit boy," he called up.

"You and that dog have some connection," the man chuckled.

"Go on; I'll be right up," Hiccup told the soldier, who nodded and headed up the rope ladder. "Wish we had more time," he said to the group of family and friends.

"Hey, we'll see ya on Saturday," Thuggory reminded.

"Right back to kicking butt," Eret nodded.

"Four months will fly by with how busy you guys get," Gobber chuckled some.

"Hope so," Hiccup nodded, going into hug his Godfather.

"We love you, son," Stoick hugged him, kissing the top of his forehead.

"Be safe, baby," Valka kissed his cheeks.

"I'll do my best," Hiccup nodded softly. He then hugged Mala, Heather, Adelaide, Minden, Ruffnut, the Bazirk twins before doing handshakes with his army buds, Snotlout, Fishlegs, and Tuffnut. Lastly; he faced Astrid, taking her hands in his. "Sorry about all this; I was really looking forward to spending the week with you before I had to go back…"

"Hey, its your job…I understand. We can talk on Skype, e-mail, text, call maybe?" Astrid asked.

"Well, texting and calling won't work out there. But the other two, probably yes. Just remember I get busy and sometimes the net isn't working right, or bad signal. It could go a couple of days before you get a response," Hiccup reminded lightly.

"Hiccup, I waited eight years for you…As long as I know you love me, and we're together; I think I can handle a couple of days between responses until you come back home," Astrid smiled a bit.

"You just reminded me of something I forgot to do," Hiccup said as Astrid arched a brow at home. "I promise to be less shy and scared this time, but…Astrid…Will you be my girlfriend? Again?"

Astrid could have cried being asked that question. "Yes," Hiccup cupped her cheek as he leaned in and kissed her deeply. Astrid melted into it, kissing him back as her arms went around his neck and one of his arms moved around her waist. The group standing in Dagur and Mala's front yard started cheering and clapping; it was official, Hiccup and Astrid were back together and dating. Hiccup pulled away from the kiss, just like before; if he didn't stop, he blow off orders to take her right inside and show her how much he loved and missed her. Hiccup reached back, holding onto the rope ladder. Astrid stepped back, watching him climb up. "Call as soon as you can!"

"I will! I love you, Milady!" Hiccup called once at the top.

"I love you too, babe!" Astrid replied. Hiccup gave the signal for the chopper to go as it began headed off. "See you soon," she whispered. Not long after, the chopper was out of sight. It was sad to see Hiccup have to leave, but Astrid was over the moon that she and Hiccup were a couple again. And Astrid would absolutely not mess this up because there would be no more chances.


	12. Chapter 12

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**12.**

_=Hiccup's POV=  
[Sunday, 6/19/2022-9:00 pm]  
[Baghdad, Iraq; Archi Base]_

It's only been two days and I already hate being away from Astrid. I think maybe I also held back from joining because I knew it would be just as hard on me as it was for her for us to be apart. However, I felt somewhat better to know that unlike the other tours, and most of this third one; Astrid was now my girlfriend again, and she was waiting for me back home. Only four months to go. The mission went well; it was done early Saturday morning into mid and a complete success too. I understood why I was needed to get it done; Toothless and I together make a near unbeatable team. We can communicate without having to speak. I understand Toothless's body language and he understands my signals. This on top of a very specific team I lead gets the job done. Once the mission was done; I grabbed a shower, some breakfast, and passed out. I didn't even have time to message home and let them know I was here.

I'm exhausted, again, but I know I need to check in back. I'm just gonna call real quick and then get some sleep. I grabbed my two-in-one tablet, which had a keyboard-style case and logged into Skype. Thankfully; the signal was holding pretty well. I saw everyone online; I assumed they had to maybe be together or all signed in to be able to do a group call if I called any of them. I made the obvious choice to call Astrid; we could probably talk for a bit on video chat and then I'd see if the others were available for a check in. I clicked Astrid's name, renamed to _Milady_, and started the call. I usually did just voice call first, to see how the quality would be and if that was alright; I'd switch to video.

"_Hi, babe," _Astrid greeted happily.

"Hey, beautiful," I replied. "How are you?"

"_Good, good. Just relaxing with everyone,"_ Astrid said.

"Yeah? Where are you?" I asked.

"_Your parents' place. We were all hoping you'd call," _Astrid informed. _"How are you?"_

"_Signal strong enough for video, bro?"_ Dagur's voice cut in. I rolled my eyes and clicked the camera, waiting for it to load up; I saw them no problem with little to no lag.

"_You look like shit,"_ Thuggory pointed out.

"Maybe because I'm exhausted…" I retorted.

"_How was the flight in?"_ Gobber asked.

"Average. I slept most of it, landed around…I don't know 12:45 am your time," I stated lightly.

"_That was…Nearly 0300 for you. Sleep when you get there?"_ Eret inquired.

I shook my head at them. I was able to see Astrid front and center; then on her right were my parents and Gobber. Around the rest of the space was everyone else. I had to assume that they hooked the webcam up to the big screen to be able to get everyone in the shot. "No. I immediately got briefed for the mission and headed out half an hour later with Toothless and my Special Ops team headed out for the next four or so hours. Then there was final reports before I ate lunch, showered, and crashed. Woke up again around 2300, had a late snack, and tried to sleep again. Failed miserably,"

"_What happened during the middle of the night then?"_ Thuggory asked.

"Well, around 0600, decided to shower and join the platoon for breakfast. Hung around the barrack for a bit; had a meeting with the platoon leaders and Bludvist…And then from 1 pm to…About two hours ago; I was on patrol and guard in a spot forty-five minutes away. Not fun at all…So I'm like…Dead right now," I yawned. "But wanted to call in so you'd know I was okay," I added tiredly.

"_We miss you, Uncle Hiccup!"_ called Magne and Dagny.

"Miss you kids too. I promise when I get back I'll take both of you for the day and we can give mom and dad a break. Sound good?" I offered.

"_Can we go to Archi Flags' Scarefest?"_ Magne asked.

"I'm sure we can work something out, as long as you're in you're best behavior for your mom and Auntie Heather. Alright?" I smiled.

"_We will!" _the two kids replied.

"_You should get some sleep, son,"_ Valka stated. I was so tired; I was laying on my bed with the tablet on my chest and dozing off despite knowing they were still there. _"Hiccup?"_ I started to knock out. All of a sudden, I heard a bomb go off outside. I instantly snapped awake, sitting up and looking around.

"Haddock!" I felt a hand on my shoulder as I instantly grabbed my handgun and whipped around to see Johann there. "Ah! Please don't shoot me!" he put his hands up.

"For Thor's sake, Johann…" I narrowed my eyes.

"Can you please lower that gun so that my frightened soul can be granted safe passage back my body, please?" Johann asked.

I lowered the gun with a sigh, then glared. "What the hell is wrong with you? We're in a war zone! Why would you sneak up on someone who is sleeping, and you know it's the person who keeps his guns and weapons in immediate grabbing distance?!"

"I didn't know you were sleeping!" Johann stated quickly. "You had your back turned!"

"Yeah, because I heard an explosion outside. I was on guard, waking up and being attacked isn't exactly a new feeling for me. Odin above…I'm sorry, but don't ever sneak up on me…I could have killed you, Johann," I sighed.

"Noted for future reference…" Johann nodded.

"Now, what do you need?" I asked.

"Base is under attack; suit up. Bludvist knew you might be asleep, so he told me to make sure you were up and-," Johann began to ramble as Toothless began growling.

"Quiet," I told Johann.

"But Bludvist said-," Johann started.

"Shut up," I ordered again. "Hold this," I handed him the tablet.

"What's going on?" Johann asked. Without warning, an enemy broke into the barrack holding a rifle up.

"Get down!" I grabbed Johann's jacket and yanked him down as a few automatic shots went off. I put a finger to my lips and made a motion for him to stay down and in place. Johann nodded as I inched my way to look at where the enemy was. I grabbed my gun from under my pillow silently as I also gave the same motion to the tablet; I knew one of the guys would mute the sound on their end and explain that if anyone made a sound; it would mess me up. I closed my eyes a second before whipped around on one knee and firing. I missed and the guy fired back; I felt a bullet rip through my right side. I hit the ground, holding my side and cringing.

Toothless darted out, biting the man's leg and giving me the chance to weakly reach for my gun that got knocked away slightly. I panted a bit as I steadied my shot and fired, hitting the enemy in the head. Instantly; he fell dead on the barrack floor. I felt back, dropping the gun as Toothless whimpered for me and howled out.

**. . .**

_=Normal POV=  
[9:15 pm]_

Johann scrambled over to Hiccup, panicking. "Haddock? Haddock!" Johann quickly checked over Hiccup, seeing the wound gushing blood. "Shit…" Johann quickly grabbed the blanket off the bed and pressed it against the wound to stop the bleeding. Hiccup yelled out in pain, breathing heavy. "Ssh…Ssh, I know…I know…Just hang in there, Haddock…" Johann told him.

"_All of you be quiet!"_ Eret yelled to silence the panicked family and friends who basically just watch Hiccup get shot and was now in excruciating pain and bleeding pretty badly.

"_Lieutenant Traytor! Call for medic, now! You can't help him on your own!"_ Dagur ordered. _"You gotta stop panicking and call for help. He saved your life, now save his!"_

Johann nodded, grabbing his radio while trying to hold pressure. "Come on, Haddock…Stay with me now…" Johann flipped the radio on. _"Medic, Medic; this is Sword LT. Does anyone read me? Over,"_

"_**Sword LT; this is Alpha Medic. I read you. Over,"**_came a female voice.

"_Dragon LT is wounded in his barrack by an enemy from the attack. Category Red. Over,"_ Johann exclaimed.

"_**I'm on my way! Keep pressure on and try to keep him awake! Over and out,"**_the female replied.

"See…Help is coming, Hiccup…Just hang in there," Johann said calmly.

"What happened!" Viggo came in quickly with Krogan and Drago. Behind them were quite a few members of the platoon as well.

"He got shot in the side by an enemy from the attack…Happened about two minutes ago," Johann stated as Krogan and Viggo jumped in to help hold pressure while still getting the clothing out of the way.

"Why is this on?" Drago lifted the tablet.

"_Hiccup was talking to us, Captain. There was no time to do anything…"_ Dagur reported.

"I'll have someone update you, but this call has to end. Civilians aren't supposed to witness any of this, but I understand the circumstances of there being a surprise attack," Drago informed.

"_We understand, sir. Please…Let us know how Haddock is?"_ Eret hoped.

"We will as soon as we know," Drago then ended the call and set the tablet on the bed as the medics rushed in and took over. Johann, Viggo, and Krogan backed up. "How did this happen?"

"I came into wake him up; he was falling asleep when I did. The bomb went off and I snuck up behind him, he didn't fire at me, but he was ready to. Then the enemy came in and Haddock saved me by pulling us down. Hiccup fired, missed. Enemy fired and hit him in the side. Toothless attacked, and Hiccup grabbed his gun and killed the enemy with a shot to the forehead before collapsing," Johann explained.

"How is he?" Krogan inquired.

"He'll live; we have the bleeding under control and there was an exit wound. We're gonna get him to the hospital to close him up; then he's probably looking at a six to eight weeks recover. I would advise light duty, but he'll be alright. We can give you a better idea once we get him where we can do a better job," the medic stated.

"Do what you must," Drago nodded. "Let's remove the body, and get this cleaned up. The attack was pushed back, so this is probably it for the night,"

"Yes, Captain," the soldiers replied.

**. . .**

_[7:15 pm]  
[Isle of Berk; Haddock Residence]_

"Guys…" Dagur stated to Eret and Thuggory. "I know it's nerve-wracking, but can you stop pacing back and forth? You're making me dizzy,"

"He got shot right in front of us!" Snotlout remarked.

"It's not something you were supposed to see, but when the attack happened; our job is to stop enemies…Not turn off the call. You don't have time for that; you act, immediately," Thuggory said.

"Wi-Will he be alright?" Astrid forced herself to ask.

"That's a hard call to make without knowing the status of him right now. Bludvist said he'd update us when knew, all we can do is wait for that. But I promise that Hiccup is a fighter, Astrid. He's not gonna go dying when he just got you back," Dagur informed. Astrid managed a nod.

**. . .**

_[9:45 pm]_

It was getting late and everyone was ready to start heading home, but they wanted to know how Hiccup was. Everyone was also glad that Magne and Dagny hadn't see what happened to Hiccup because they were off playing in the den. Just as Stoick was about to make the call that as soon as anyone heard anything, everyone would get the update; Dagur's phone silenced the room. Dagur checked the caller ID to see that it was Bludvist.

"Bazirk here," Dagur answered. "Hi, Captain…How is Haddock?" Dagur listened closely. "That's…Good to hear," he breathed a sigh of relief. "No, they didn't see anything. Just heard some shots and when Johann set the tablet down, saw Haddock on the floor in pain…" he stated, putting a finger to his lips for the others to stay quiet about what he said. "Yes, I'll tell them. Thank you, sir. We'll see you Saturday night when we get back," Dagur informed. "Bye," he ended the call.

"You realize if Bludvist ever finds out you lied about what we saw; you're in huge trouble," Thuggory remarked.

"He ain't gonna find out if you don't say nothing, so shut it," Dagur stated. "I didn't lie about what was seen for his sake and all the shit that goes into civilians seen war-related things…I did it for Hiccup,"

"What do you mean?" Valka inquired.

"Hiccup woke up about half an hour after surgery and knew the call was going when everything happened; he started panicking and worrying about you all seeing something you shouldn't. Fearing you'd be traumatized…He wouldn't calm down, risking to reopen the wound, until Bludvist told him that we didn't see anything other than what I said we saw. Hiccup relaxed, and fell back asleep. So you will say nothing to him about what happened tonight…Got it?" Dagur said firmly.

"We understand," Gobber nodded, as did the others. "How is the lad?"

"He's alive, obviously," Dagur sighed. "The bleeding was managed when medics arrive; there was an exit wound which made things easier as far as surgery goes. Hiccup is stitched up and recovering in the hospital for a week or so until the wound closes. After that; he can return to light duty,"

"By light you mean desk work," Eret asked.

"Basically. He can return to full duty for at least three weeks. The wound wasn't god awful; his uniform took the brunt of it. Heh…And I always used to give him shit for wearing his full uniform in the barracks when we didn't have assignments. Hiccup always said; _you never know what could happen, so I like to be prepared for anything and everything_," Dagur chuckled lightly.

"So all the blood was just initial…Being shot?" Thuggory inquired.

"Yeah. Didn't hit anything vital; he's good and resting now. Bludvist says we can see him as soon as we get in if we want," Dagur nodded.

"Have him contact us, when he can?" Astrid hoped.

"I'm sure he will," Dagur smiled.

"Thanks," Astrid smiled lightly.

"Now…I think it's all time we get home and settle for the night," Mala offered. With no arguments; everyone said their goodbyes and left.

**. . .**

_[10:00 pm]  
[Hofferson Residence]_

Astrid got home, said goodnight to her parents and went right to her bedroom. Astrid got ready for bed, used the bathroom, washed her face, and brushed her teeth before getting into bed and sighing heavily. Tonight was scary; it's exactly what she'd been scared of with Hiccup joining the military. Hiccup wasn't going to before the break up, but then we went through with it and Astrid said she supported and could handle this situation. Astrid wouldn't go back on her word; it was scary, but Hiccup was doing his job and she couldn't knock the one job that helped fight for peace and freedom. Especially when it was for the place she lived as well. Astrid set her phone to charge, but not before sending a message to Hiccup on Skype.

_10:20 pm  
I love you so much, Hiccup. With my everything. Rest well, and I can't wait to see you._

Astrid laid down and closed her eyes; sleep took her away ten minutes later.

**. . .**

_[Monday, 6/19/2022-12:35 am]  
[Baghdad, Iraq; Military Hospital]_

Hiccup woke up five minutes prior to use the bathroom, getting help from an attending male nurse who helped Hiccup out of bed and into the bathroom, but then stayed outside until he was done to help him back. Once Hiccup was settled there; he heard the alert of Skype go off and reached for his table, brought in by Johann who figured he'd want it to kill time while recovering. Hiccup brought up the messages and smiled seeing the one from Astrid.

_**Milady, 12:20 am  
I love you so much, Hiccup. With my everything. Rest well, and I can't wait to see you.**_

Hiccup smiled as he typed a reply back that he assumed she'd get in the morning.

_12:36 am  
Seeing this has already helped me feel a lot better. Sweet dreams, and know you'll be in mine tonight. Talk to you soon, and I can't wait to see you as well. I promise we'll take a day, no…A weekend away, camping at Dragon's Edge once I'm home. Just us, Milady. I love you so much._

Hiccup closed the cover to the tablet and set it on his bedside table before getting comfortable and closing his eyes. Not long after, maybe five or so minutes; Hiccup was out from sheer exhaustion.


	13. Chapter 13

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**13.**

_=Normal POV=  
[Tuesday, 8/9/2022-4:00 pm]  
[Isle of Berk; Raven Point Park-The Cove]_

Two months had gone by since the day Hiccup and Astrid got back together, and then had to return to Iraq a week before his leave time was supposed to end. Eret, Thuggory, and Dagur returned on schedule a week after Hiccup had gone back; the first thing they did was visit Hiccup in the hospital, and were the lucky ones who got to help him back to the barrack since the doctor deemed the wound healed enough for him to continue the recovery in his own bed. During that whole week Hiccup was in the military hospital; he kept in contact with his family and friends if he wasn't sleeping. For three weeks, Hiccup was on light duty to make sure the wound stayed closed and healed up properly. Hiccup talked to everyone back home as much as he could, but when he was cleared for missions again; the contact became less and less as Hiccup knew it would. If nothing else, Hiccup made sure he contacted his parents and Astrid above all others because he knew they'd pass any messages along to the rest.

Astrid was becoming more and more used to how things worked about dating a deployed soldier. It was hard not to talk every day, but at the same time; not so bad because she also had her job to do as a Veterinarian. There were times she'd be really busy at the clinic, or just come home to shower and have enough time to eat and say an I love you and good night to Hiccup before crashing on her bed. So, the arrangement wasn't all bad because she couldn't respond all the time either. However, one thing Astrid was really looking forward to was that weekend getaway Hiccup promised her over Skype the night he got hurt. That was surely going to be interesting; just the two of them for three days. Dragon's Edge was a Dragon-themed amusement park, but doubled as a campground too. Astrid couldn't wait, hopefully, only two more months to go until she got all that alone time with Hiccup.

It would be good for them, as it had been eight years since they got to spend time together as a couple. The last big thing they got to do was go to senior prom, that was the day before graduation from high school. A lot of the trip would likely be them talking, and enjoying the park. On Hiccup's side of things; he also couldn't wait. Getting sent back to Iraq early messed up all the plans he had for Astrid and him to just chat about the past eight years, enjoy their renewed relationship. Hiccup made an effort to contact home at least once a day, or night; even if there wasn't an actual conversation; he'd let his parents and Astrid know he was alright. Today, Astrid and her friends were hanging out at the park after work to enjoy a picnic-style lunch. Mala was home with the kids, but Heather came out to join the group.

"I'm glad our lives haven't gotten so busy that we weren't able to do this anymore," Fishlegs stated as everyone grabbed an available picnic table to sit at. Snotlout and Tuffnut set down the table cloth while Adelaide and Minden put out the plates, utensils, and food.

"Right," Ruffnut agreed. Astrid was checking her phone because for once; Hiccup hadn't made contact in a week. The last message she got was him saying he had to go out on a mission and would check in once back. Astrid knew that if Hiccup had died, Stoick and Valka would have received a visit from a notification officer and chaplain about Hiccup's death, and around this time; his body would be shipped home in a flag-draped casket to be buried. That hadn't happened, and she knew from Gobber it would happen within twenty-four hours of the soldier's passing.

"I'm sure he's okay, Astrid," Heather offered, seeing the concern on Astrid's face. "I heard from Dagur last night, and he said everyone is fine; just busy,"

"I-I know," Astrid nodded. "Can't blame a girl for worrying," she added. Heather and Astrid had become really good friends over the past two months because Heather understood how the military life worked being that her father and brother were both in, despite the father passing away while deployed. Heather was able to help Astrid deal with the distance; handle things better than sitting around and waiting. Astrid was very thankful for it too, and there were no hard feelings between them about the fact that Hiccup chose Astrid over Heather. It was pretty funny actually; Heather admitted to Astrid that she had a little thing for Fishlegs.

And the group already knew that Fishlegs liked Heather. It was only a matter of time before they ended up confessing those feelings and getting together. Likewise, Ruffnut had a crush on Eret; they hit it off really well while Eret was on his leave time with the others on Berk. And Thuggory liked Camicazi, who the group got to meet because Camicazi came to Berk from Bog-Burglar to see him while he was enjoying his break from war. Astrid was positive that Camicazi and Thuggory would end up dating when Thuggory got home from Iraq. And then the other two couples of the gang, Snotlout and Minden as well Adelaide and Tuffnut, were doing great too.

The friends tried to do this at least twice a month, more if possible; just get together to hang out. Everyone worked different jobs, so it was hard to find time for them to all meet up. Astrid and Fishlegs were Veterinarians. Adelaide was a cosmetologist. Minden is going to be a doctor; she's completed her four years of college and four years of medical school, but in order to take the licensing exam, she still needs a year in a residency program, which is basically interning with a doctor. The program Minden is in is a three-year residency, so next year she can take the licensing test, but still have to complete two more years in the internship. And Astrid knew that Snotlout was a physical fitness trainer, Tuffnut and Ruffnut still worked for their parents' design store, and Heather was a lawyer.

"Well, let's eat. I'm starving," Snotlout rubbed his hands together. However, he saw Stoick, Valka, and Gobber coming closer.

"Aunt Val? Uncle Stoick? What are you doing here?" Adelaide asked.

"We came with news about Hiccup," Gobber informed. Astrid instantly tensed up as Heather held her hand. Unknown to them; Hiccup was sneaking into the cove the back way while their focus was on his parents and Gobber. Hiccup got behind Astrid and leaned closer to her.

"The news is that I'm home," Astrid whipped around as Hiccup backed up to avoid their heads colliding; she saw Hiccup standing there, still in uniform with Toothless at his side and a smile on his face. "Surprise, Milady," Hiccup said with his arms out for her.

"Hiccup!" Astrid squealed as she got off the bench and quickly hugged him tightly. Hiccup laughed a little as he embraced her in his arms. "You're back! You're home!" Astrid tried not to cry as she jumped up and down. Astrid grabbed his face and kissed him deeply; then few short ones over and over again before leaning back a bit to look in his eyes. "Wait…It's only August…What are you doing home so early? Oh, my Gods! Did you get hurt again?"

"No, no…Easy, babe. Bludvist owed me time anyway since my leave got cut in half, so here I am," Hiccup informed.

"So this is just leave? You still have to go back until October?" Adelaide wondered.

"Also no. The tour is over; the others will be along in two or three weeks. I got to leave ahead of them because Bludvist owed me from June," Hiccup stated.

"Why is it over two months before it should be?" Heather inquired.

"Well, aside from the fact we've been there for sixteen months…Our company has lost too many people for us to be considered a company anymore," Hiccup sighed. "We've got others joining in, but their new and still on the mainland to finish training. HQ decided it was best to send us home, so we could mourn our dead without war getting in the way,"

"Big memorial for them when everyone gets home?" Gobber wondered.

"Yeah. Once everyone gets back and we go through the post-war stuff; they'll hold it," Hiccup nodded.

"You been through yours?" Gobber asked.

"Tomorrow morning at the Berk Base," Hiccup confirmed.

"Been through your what, babe?" Astrid questioned.

"Post-War Psychiatric Evaluation," Gobber stated. "It's to make sure Hiccup is mentally okay from anything he saw or did overseas,"

"Don't they do all that after things happen? That's what Dagur told me," Heather looked at Gobber now.

"We do it many times before, through, and after deployment," Hiccup replied.

"It's to check for PTSD," Gobber informed. "Evaluations happen before deployments to make sure soldiers can handle going into war. Happens anytime there's a major death during to make sure the soldiers are okay to continue, and then finally, after war to ensure that they can integrate back into normal life,"

"They do it once after war, and about six months later, for late onset PTSD," Hiccup nodded.

"You're okay, though, right?" Valka asked.

"Do you want honestly or a lie?" Hiccup inquired.

"Hiccup…" Stoick sighed.

"That wasn't sarcasm; I was being serious. I don't really know, Dad. I just left Iraq this morning; I can't gage right now how I'm gonna be as the days I'm now out of war continue to pass. All I can do right now is take it as it comes, and if it becomes too much; I go get help. If the answer you're looking for is if I have PTSD; then yes, I do," Hiccup mentioned. "I've had it for a while, probably since the middle of the second tour; it's just not an overly severe case because the military monitors the status of all their soldiers. I do my evals, I do my sessions, so right now; I'm doing alright. I'm just glad to be home and around all of you, so can we not wear out the good moment? Please?" he asked.

"Stoick…" Gobber said, shaking his head at his friend; a clear look that said _don't push him_.

"Aye, sorry son," Stoick nodded. "We're all glad you're home too," he smiled.

Hiccup closed his eyes, sighing as he hugged Astrid again. "I've missed you like crazy," he said.

"Missed you too," Astrid replied lightly. Hiccup lifted her chin up and kissed her softly. "You hungry? We're just about to sit down for lunch,"

"Yeah, I could eat. After, though; I'm probably gonna get to Mala and Dagur's to sleep a bit. I'm exhausted; we did a guard last night until 6 am this morning, I grabbed breakfast and shower…Was about to go to sleep when Bludvist told me there was a was a plane seat waiting for me. Most of my morning has been traveling back here; he said it was his way of making up for cutting into my leave, that I get to come home three weeks early," Hiccup chuckled.

"You can come stay at my house if you want," Astrid offered softly. "My parents are working, then have a dinner thing at 7 pm. And I only work half day today,"

"I secretly think you just made yourself available to spend more time with me," Hiccup chuckled.

"No, no; she's telling the truth. Astrid only works half days on Tuesday, and Thursday with the weekends off," Fishlegs stated.

"Huh. Well, alright then. Can't argue with facts or spending time with my girlfriend, even though I'll likely be sleeping most of it. But…Maybe you and I can catch dinner later?" Hiccup asked.

"How about we just eat in tonight, babe? I'll cook for us. You just got off your deployment; you deserve to rest today," Astrid insisted.

"Are you sure?" Hiccup inquired.

"Absolutely! I'll make your favorite," Astrid tempted, hoping he'd agree.

"Alright, you win," Hiccup chuckled. "I'm come home with you tonight. Wait, do your parents still have that I can't be there past 11 pm rule like when we were teenagers, even after we turned eighteen?" he wondered.

Astrid laughed a little. "No, they stopped that," she informed.

"Thank Odin," Hiccup breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now it's midnight," Astrid added in. Hiccup laughed a bit. "You know how they are, rather; always been," she shrugged a bit.

"Oi vey. Yes, I do remember. Pretty sure the limit used to be 9:30 pm until they found out we were having sex," Hiccup stated.

"Yeah, that went over real well," Astrid nodded.

"Well, I'll stay til like 9 or 10 pm then before going back to The Bazirk's house," Hiccup stated gently.

"You know, you can come home, son," Valka said lightly.

"I know, but I have my housing figured out. I'm only at Dagur and Mala's until it's finalized," Hiccup smiled.

"Where are you going to be moving?" Snotlout inquired.

"Military housing," Hiccup informed. "Should be ready in September,"

"I thought you couldn't do that unless you were married. Single soldiers with no dependents typically get a dormitory-style setup," Gobber blinked.

"It's changed a lot since you were in the military, Uncle Gobber," Hiccup chuckled a bit. "Come on, let's eat; I'll explain," he suggested. Everyone sat down at the tables they connected to make one long one and began to get their food. Once everyone was ready; they started eating and then waited for Hiccup to explain whatever it was he said he would.

"Alright, so tell us what this is all about, Hiccup," Adelaide smiled.

"I forget all the major explanations behind it, but because I'm a service member and in the officer ranks; I qualify for military housing in an actual house without being married. It's like…How do I put it…Rent-To-Own homes. Military buys them if they are owned by bank or in auction; they purchase fixer-uppers too. So they go in and clean everything up and then offer them to guys, or girls, like me who don't want to live on base in the dorms and don't qualify for actual military housing; people who are married or have children. Basically; I rent the house from the military at a cheaper, discounted rate, until it's paid off," Hiccup stated softly, taking a drink from his water bottle.

"That's pretty cool," Tuffnut said.

"But the whole house to yourself?" Heather asked. "Wouldn't you get lonely?"

"Not really," Hiccup smiled.

"And don't you have to follow military rules?" Gobber wondered.

"Nope, that's the cool part. Once I get in; it's my place. And bonus, the military takes care of garbage, lawncare, snow removal; they'll even tend to the house if I'm away training or deployed. I basically just pay rent to the housing authority every month, or they'll take it directly out of my account. Then I pay for food, my phone, car, etc.," Hiccup informed.

"And you can have whoever you want over?" Astrid questioned.

"That's right," Hiccup nodded. "I can have roommates, I can have my girlfriend move in…All choices are mine as long as I'm paying the rent," he chuckled. "That's why I went with this choice, and the bonus…With this is place; I'm always on Berk,"

"You mean…You're permanently stationed here?" Astrid's eyes widened.

"That's right. This is where my house will be, so this is where I station. I can still get called to the mainland for big things, but everything else; I go to Berk Base," Hiccup smiled as Astrid hugged him tightly.

"That's great to hear, son," Stoick beamed with Valka. Everyone loved hearing that Hiccup would be on Berk for good now, unless there was something big, or another deployment.

Hiccup was happy about it; he was glad that Viggo, Krogan, Johann, and Drago brought it up during the meeting before he returned home. Hiccup was over the moon to be home early too; he just hoped his friends were going to be okay until they got to come back too. Hiccup didn't want to find out about anymore deaths in the company; it hurt enough already. Yeah, Hiccup had some stuff going on in his head from this past tour, maybe even from the second and first tours too; he was diagnosed during the second with a minor case of PTSD, and told by the evaluation board that it was to be expected with everything Hiccup reported during the evaluation. However, this last tour was worse than the other two and Hiccup knew that he could end up having a hard time now that he was out of war. In either case, Hiccup was going to take it as it came, and if it started to become too much; he'd get help.

All Hiccup cared about at this very moment was that he was home with family, friends, and his girlfriend. Hiccup would enjoy this time with them, then go to Astrid's to sleep a bit, and have dinner with her. After that; he would return to Dagur and Mala's house for the night. The third tour was over, and he could finally relax a little and enjoy his life now that it finally felt right again.


	14. Chapter 14

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**14.**

_=Astrid's POV=  
[Saturday, 8/27/2022-10:00 am]  
[Isle of Berk; Dreki Café]_

A few weeks have gone by since Hiccup's surprise homecoming. I loved that the tour was over two months ahead of schedule, and that Hiccup got to come home three weeks earlier than everyone else because his commanding officer, Captain Drago Bludvist, wanted to make up for cutting Hiccup's two-week leave short back in June. I was also ridiculously happy that Hiccup's living situation was decided based on him wanting to stay stationed on Berk; now, he wouldn't bounce around to the different islands. Hiccup's Company is all on Berk now; Eret, Thuggory, and Dagur are back too obviously. We all went to the airport to greet them on Monday, the 22nd. Everything is going really well for everyone; I'm glad to know that. Hiccup was still staying at the Bazirk Residence until his whole house thing was settled. I guess there was a lot that went into it according to Hiccup. There was paperwork, him saying what he wanted or needed, and then them finding that a place to match; then there was all the financial side of it. Either way; Hiccup didn't seem to mind waiting.

Right now, Hiccup and I decided to grab breakfast together since I didn't have work and he didn't have his drill training until next weekend. I know it was on the first weekend of every month, Friday morning to Sunday night. I loved these weekly dates we went on; it felt great to be with Hiccup again. I was so happy to be his girlfriend again. Everything about this felt right, unlike all the other dates and failed relationships that apparently Hiccup and I both went through before making it to where we are now, rather, were back in June. I love that we originally got together June 15th back in freshman year 2011, broke up on June 15th, 2014, and got back together June 17th, 2022. I found it hilarious, and so did Hiccup when we talked about it. As I said, right now; we're just enjoying breakfast and then possibly taking a walk through the park.

"How's your breakfast?" Hiccup asked me.

"It's great," I replied. "How about yours?" I smiled.

"Much better than what I had overseas," Hiccup chuckled a bit.

"I bet," I smiled, taking another bite of my eggs. "How are the boys doing with being home? Heather says Mala mentioned Dagur is having trouble sleeping at night,"

"It's just the readjustment to be out of war. I had trouble sleeping too, still do occasionally. It's because we're so used to being on high alert for attack; think of it as auto-tuning in for anything that seems not right," Hiccup explained.

"Sounds awful," I frowned.

"Hey, it's alright. Don't upset yourself with what we go through, babe. It's part of our job, and we all knew that when we signed up," Hiccup informed, setting his hand on mine. I smiled at him, nodding, but inside I still felt bad.

"What's it like?" I decided to ask.

"What? Not being able to sleep? Being on high alert? Gonna need you to be more specific," Hiccup stated.

"Having PTSD," I clarified.

"Well…It's official name is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder," Hiccup started. "It's hard to explain because it varies depending on the person," he mentioned.

"I'll be more direct; what's it like for soldiers? For you?" I wondered.

"I feel compelled to ask why you want to know?" Hiccup inquired.

"I guess…I just want to know what you're going through, so I can understand and be here for you…Help if possible," I admitted.

"I'll accept that answer," Hiccup nodded. "All soldiers, especially after war, have a form of PTSD. Well, form is the wrong word; it's more of a level. Some are slight or minor cases, and then there are some which are much more severe,"

"You mentioned yours was a minor?" I asked.

"Minor, yes," Hiccup replied. "That is determined based on the things I report in evaluations. The biggest thing those exams are for are to make sure that a soldier can readjust and live normally in civilian life. And I know that look; you're wondering the difference between civilian and soldier life?" I nodded to him. "Well…Civilian life is…This, what we're doing right now. Just out, having a good time; laid back, relaxed. Soldier life," Hiccup shook his head. "There is moments of rest; we could enjoy a meal, laugh, have a decent time, but always ready to go into a fight. You gotta be able to switch in the blink of an eye while at war,"

"So the evaluations are to make sure that you're…Not bringing the war mindset home with you?" I questioned.

"Yes, but…Obviously; that's hard to do. Fighting in a war so long, it's hard to come back to this and not be on edge all the time. It takes some time to get out of the war mind, realize we're safe and can fully relax without worry. Now, most soldiers can take some time and reach that point. But then there are others who can't; that's where the post traumatic stress title comes in," Hiccup stated softly.

"The more trauma you endure; the harder it is to cope," I said.

"Exactly," Hiccup nodded. "Like I said; we all have level of PTSD, Ast. I look totally fine, but at any time; I can get triggered-," he stopped. "But hey, this isn't a conversation for a date. Come on, cheer up, babe. I'm alright, and if the day comes where that status changes; I'll let you know,"

I nodded and smiled. "Okay. Sorry, just wanted to understand more,"

"I get it," Hiccup stated. "Let's just enjoy breakfast," he reminded. It did worry me to know that Hiccup had PTSD of any form; I wanted to know more so I could help him if he went through any of that stuff. I suppose I felt a bit better knowing he said he had it under control, and if that changed; he'd let me know. We both started eating again until Hiccup stopped to get his phone and check the ID. "I gotta take this one," he mumbled.

"Work?" I asked as he nodded. "Well, go on then. I'll be here," Hiccup got up, kissing my cheek before stepping off into the bathroom to take the call. I chuckled a bit and kept eating until Hiccup returned a few moments later. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, just discussing a couple things regarding the memorial service coming up; it's happening in September. The final date it still being decided, but I get informed because I have to tell my platoon. These calls are just Bludvist calling Viggo, Krogan, Johann, and me for updates, and then we pass them along to our respected groups," Hiccup informed.

"Ah, so big ass phone tree?" I giggled.

"Bingo," Hiccup responded. "Oh, one other thing though. I guess they found a house that might match my criteria; I know we have that welcome home party at my parents' house, but…I set the showing for tomorrow at 11 am, would you like to join me for it?" Hiccup inquired.

"I'd love to," I replied to him.

"It's a date then," Hiccup held my hand, leaning forward a bit to kiss the back of it. I blushed before he let go and we both got back to eating and chatting about random things. I couldn't wait for later; it was gonna be a big welcome home for Dagur, Eret, Thuggory, and Hiccup; even though he's been home for a little under a month now. We all thought it'd be nice to throw a party for them.

**. . .**

_=Normal POV=  
[4:30 pm]  
[Haddock Residence]_

"Welcome home, boys!" the group cheered and laughed as Eret, Thuggory, Hiccup, and Dagur walked through the back gate to the Haddock Household.

"I'd like to point out I was home weeks ago," Hiccup stated.

"Oh, shush!" Astrid giggled as she hugged and kissed Hiccup. "Love you,"

"I love you too," Hiccup replied gently before greeting everyone else. The party was nice and all, but he honestly just wanted some time with Astrid; he couldn't believe they'd been back together nearly three months now. To him, it felt like they never broke up with how well it was going. Of course, the truth was that they did break up for eight years and managed to just get right back to what they had despite the time in between. Hiccup and Astrid loved that about them in particular.

Everyone was still doing greetings with one another and grabbing drinks to enjoy when Hiccup was mildly surprised to see Astrid's parents; Calder and Asvora Hofferson among the group and making their way towards him and Astrid. "Good to see you again, dear," Asvora said lightly, giving Hiccup a hug.

"You as well, Mrs. Hofferson," Hiccup replied respectfully as Asvora stepped back and then Hiccup and Calder shook hands.

"Welcome home, Hiccup, and thank you for your service," Calder stated.

"Thank you for your support, sir," Hiccup responded.

"We're so happy to see that you and Astrid worked things out and are back together," Asvora smiled.

"I know we may have had our differences, but I can see now how happy you make our daughter. And especially after meeting some of the people she was with after you…You are definitely the one I want to her with," Calder informed. Astrid wanted to facepalm as Hiccup wondered now himself what kind of dates Astrid ended up having after they broke up; it didn't sound like anything promising for her father to admit fully he wanted Astrid with Hiccup. "Once you two work your way back up to getting married; I'll give it to you now, Hiccup…You have my blessing to ask,"

Hiccup cleared his throat a bit. "I, uh, thank you, Mr. Hofferson,"

"I know I could ask for no better man for my daughter to be with. You have mine as well. Now, Astrid, best not lose him again, sweetheart," Asvora chuckled.

"Mom, I had no intention of doing so," Astrid mumbled. "We're probably…A long ways off from that," she added. "We've only been together about three months…" Hiccup pulled Astrid closer against him and kissed her temple as she blushed a bit. Asvora and Calder smiled, nodding, and headed off to mingle as Astrid sighed heavily. "I am so sorry,"

"Don't worry about it, babe. I'm kind of glad it happened," Hiccup chuckled a bit.

"You are?" Astrid arched a brow.

"Yeah, your parents finally accept me. I guess it took you dating a few not-so-great people to bring it on, but hey; I'll take the win," Hiccup laughed a bit as Astrid mumbled under her breath. "And I'm happy to have their blessing because not gonna lie; I never asked for the first time I proposed to you and I felt bad about it," he added.

"Don't because they probably would have said no back then, and knowing you; you'd do it anyway," Astrid smiled a bit. "There'd be tension between you and my dad forever,"

"See, it worked out then," Hiccup stated. "Come on, let's go enjoy the party," he walked with her over to everyone else.

**. . .**

_[6:30 pm]_

Two hours in, and everyone was having a great time. The dinner was burgers and hot dogs with chips and a variety of other little dishes. Everyone was now sitting around the fire, talking with a drink in hand and having fun. The talks were mostly of some better moments over the last eight years while deployed; the boys might have fought in war, but they made sure that it wasn't all work. Turns out that Camicazi made an appearance at the party, wanting to welcome Thuggory home. There was music going in the background, so it was just a very relaxed, fun setting. Thuggory, Eret, Dagur, and Hiccup all appreciated the peacefulness above all else.

"Hey…It's our theme song playing," Eret chuckled.

"Oh, yeah…" Dagur nodded.

"So it is," Thuggory stated. Suddenly, all three of them looked at Hiccup.

"What?" Hiccup asked. The three soldiers gave him a grin. "Oh, my Gods…Fine," he sighed out. _"It's time to strap our boots on; this is the perfect day to day. Wipe the blood out of our eyes. In this life, there's no surrender. And there's nothing left for us do; find the strength to see this through…We are the ones who will never be broken. With our final breath; we'll fight to the death. We are soldiers," _Hiccup started singing. The rest of the group quieted down, rather curious.

"_We are soldiers," _Eret, Thuggory, and Dagur sang.

"_Woah. Woah. Whoa….Whoa. We are soldiers!" _all four of them sang out together as the music picked up and they smiled.

"_I stand here right beside you. Tonight we're fighting for our lives! Let me hear your battle cry. Your battle cry!"_ Hiccup yelled out.

"_We are the ones who will never be broken. With our final breath; we'll fight to the death,"_ Eret sang.

"_We are soldiers. We are soldiers,"_ Hiccup, Dagur, and Thuggory continued.

"_We are the ones who will not go unspoken. No, we will not sleep; we are not sheep. We are soldiers. We are soldiers, yeah!" _the four sang together.

Hiccup put his hand out. _"We stand shoulder to shoulder,"_

Dagur connected his to Hiccup's with a grin. _"We stand shoulder to shoulder," _

Eret and Thuggory connected their hands. _"We stand shoulder to shoulder,"_

"_You can't erase us; you'll just have to face us,"_ the four sang as they released hands and looked at one another. _"We stand shoulder to shoulder! We stand shoulder to shoulder. We stand shoulder to shoulder!"_ the four males hand one hand each meet in the middle and piled on top of one another. _"You can't erase us; you'll just have to face us!"_

Hiccup, Eret, Thuggory, and Dagur threw their hands in the air. _"We are the ones who will never be broken. With our final breath; we'll fight to the death. We are soldiers. We are soldiers. We are the ones who will not go unspoken. No, we will not sleep. We are not sheep. We are soldiers. We are soldiers, yeah!"_ they yelled out.

"_Whoa! Whoa! Whoa…! Whoa," _Hiccup and Dagur sang.

"_We are soldiers!"_ the other two continued while pulling out four nips and passing them around.

"_Whoa! Whoa! Whoa…! Whoa," _Eret, Dagur, and Hiccup sang.

"_We are soldiers!"_ Thuggory smiled.

"_Whoa! Whoa…Whoa! Whoa," _the four sang, opening the small bottles of alcohol and raising them up. _"We are soldiers,"_ they finished. After a quick tap; the boys sucked them back and then laughed.

"Man…Good times," Thuggory said.

"Seriously," Eret nodded.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what's with the alcohol?" Dagur wondered. "I think we established that the four of us drinking together is not a good mix,"

"You're telling me," Mala and Heather sighed.

"I'm gonna go on record and say that I never, ever get as drunk as you three," Hiccup remarked. "There was one time, and that was my twenty-first,"

"Bullshit; you've been shitfaced way more than once!" Eret remarked.

"If you can prove that; I'll back off," Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Also remember that when I turned twenty-one; we were just getting deployed to our second tour for eighteen months, so by the time we came back and drank together again; I was already twenty-two and a half. I don't like getting wasted; one of the four us has to be aware of what's going on to make sure the rest don't do anything stupid," he informed.

"We've never done anything stupid," Thuggory said.

"Yeah, because I'm the sober one making sure you don't!" Hiccup retorted.

"You were getting drunk with us before you turned twenty-one," Dagur smirked.

Hiccup went to protest, but couldn't because it was true. "Hiccup! That's against the law," Stoick instantly said.

"And…What can anyone do about it about now, Dad? We didn't get caught, and we stayed at the apartment," Hiccup replied. "Come on; I never got super drunk and it was nothing hard, just beer, one or two shots maybe," he shrugged.

"And what are you laughing about, Thuggory? You were doing it too," Eret reminded. "You were hilarious drunk,"

"Screw you. So was Hiccup," Thuggory stated.

"No he wasn't," Heather rolled her eyes. "Hiccup was probably the most laid back and quiet,"

"He had a blast on his twenty-first," Dagur argued.

"Well, yeah…That was Hiccup turning twenty-one; You, Dagur, and Eret took him out for a couple drinks and then came back to the apartment to have a last hoorah before you guys shipped out to Afghanistan for a year and a half," Heather informed.

"And they were celebrating the birth of the twins," Mala added in.

"Exactly," Heather nodded.

"Thank you, girls, for making my case for me. You three are the drunken buffoons; I merely supervise and keep you safe as it's my job to, quite literally," Hiccup remarked.

"You can't tell us what to do off the battlefield," Eret huffed.

"Would you like to bet on that?" Hiccup arched a brow. "As long as you're soldiers of the Barbaric Archipelago Army and members of the Dragon Platoon in Alpha Company; I am your commanding officer, and your sorry asses belong to me,"

"But we aren't soldiers right now," Thuggory said.

"Doesn't matter," Hiccup informed. "Battlefield or not; I'm Stryker Unit and Dragon Platoon leader. It's my job to watch your backs and keep you out of trouble,"

"Awe, you do love us," Dagur chuckled.

"Never said I didn't, but watch yourself or else next drill weekend…I'm gonna give you the workout of a lifetime," Hiccup chuckled.

"You wouldn't…" the three males paled.

"Try me," Hiccup responded. "We can spend wake up to breakfast doing exercises, then the rest of the day doing obstacle courses or war drills,"

"Nope!" Eret said.

"I'm good," Dagur informed.

"You're the boss," Thuggory added.

"That's what I thought," Hiccup sat back with a triumphant smile.

"I ever tell you how hot it is to see you in charge," Astrid giggled.

"Easy, Milady," Hiccup laughed a bit, pulling her over into his lap. "But yes, you told me all the time eight years ago when we-," Astrid blushed intently.

"Shut up!" Astrid screeched.

"Maybe don't ask a question you don't want the answer to coming out in mixed company, babe," Hiccup chuckled some. "Now, let's just enjoy the rest of the night," he added as everyone agreed, but still got a kick out the bickering they just heard. It was definitely funny, but fun to see everyone just having a good time. The soldier could all admit that they needed this after the last tour; it was amazing to be home with family and friends again.


	15. Chapter 15

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**15.**

_=Normal POV=  
[Saturday, 8/27/2022-8:00 pm]  
[Isle of Berk; Haddock Residence]_

Hiccup didn't exactly know what was wrong with him; it started with him zoning off frequently while everyone was hanging out, and now he was just straight tired despite today being really easy going. Everyone was still having a good time at Stoick and Valka's house; enjoying welcome home party for Eret, Thuggory, Dagur, and Hiccup. The party would likely be closing down in the next thirty to sixty minutes because Dagur and Mala's twins would need to get to sleep at a reasonable time. Hiccup, though; felt tired enough to call it a night himself. However, he was looking forward to tomorrow; seeing his possible new house with Astrid; it would be fun, and then they'd probably get lunch together. Hiccup hoped this would be a place he could live in; that wasn't to say he was picky, but there basic things he'd prefer to have with the house that he didn't want to have to buy on top of all the moving in stuff. Hiccup was just trying to make the overall process easier on himself.

Another big thing Hiccup was thinking about was the vacation that he and Astrid were going to take to Dragon's Edge Campground & Amusement Park. The two hadn't discussed much about the trip, but were both definitely excited to go. A little getaway for just the two of them to really get to enjoy their relationship without work, school, or anything getting in the way. There would be no time limits, no rules, nothing except them. Hiccup and Astrid still needed to plan a time to go, but Hiccup wanted to get this house stuff taken care of first. The living situation definitely came before everything else. Tonight, though; Hiccup just felt drained and didn't understand why. Hiccup did feel he should probably just get some sleep, it was getting later after all; he'd had a few drinks, but nothing that would have him this tired.

"Hiccup?" Astrid asked when she looked to see Hiccup dozing off in the chair. Hiccup's head kept drooping down and his eyes were struggling to stay open. Hiccup felt that his eyes were heavy, and he was having a hard time actually staying awake. "Babe?" Astrid shook him a little as he raised his head and looked at her.

"Yeah? Hm? What's up, babe?" Hiccup asked.

"Are you okay?" Astrid wondered.

"I'm fine," Hiccup smiled.

"You sure? You've…Zoned off a couple of times," Heather inquired.

"I'm good," Hiccup repeated.

"But-," Adelaide started.

"For the third time; I'm okay. Leave it alone, would ya?" Hiccup retorted, slight annoyance in his voice now.

"Hey, don't be a dick because we care," Thuggory remarked.

"Not being a dick; I'm just sitting here like the rest of you. I'm entitled to zone off at random; it's a peaceful night. These were hard to come by while deployed," Hiccup informed.

"True that, my brother," Dagur nodded in agreement. "Nice to not be on guard all the time,"

"Tell me about it," Eret stated. "I agree with Hiccup…Nights like these are pretty rare for guys like us,"

"If it wasn't something war-related; it was training for war even while at war," Thuggory chuckled.

"Always ready to defend our home," Dagur, Hiccup, and Eret said together.

"Hey, we had some fun times, though," Dagur reminded.

"So it wasn't all work?" Minden wondered.

"Gods, no," Thuggory chuckled with the others.

"We had a blast in training to become soldiers," Hiccup nodded.

"You were first to get scolded by Viggo," Eret pointed at Hiccup.

"Ugh, don't remind me; it wasn't even my fault…" Hiccup mumbled.

"It was so your fault," Thuggory shot at him.

"He started it!" Hiccup argued.

"Doesn't matter; it was his job. You were supposed to stand there and keep your mouth shut," Dagur reminded.

"What happened?" Snotlout asked.

"In the beginning of Basic Training, when we were learning everything still; you could be scolded for breathing wrong. One mis-step, one lip twitch…Anything. Hiccup over here, doesn't know when to shut up," Dagur mentioned.

"He mouthed off, didn't he?" Gobber sighed.

"Worse; he made the Viggo shut up by outsmarting him. And as punishment for being defeated by an eighteen-year-old and looking foolish; Viggo gave Hiccup the workout of a lifetime," Eret stated.

"My Gods, if could have seen the state this man was in afterward…" Thuggory snickered. "He was so dead,"

"I only corrected where he was wrong," Hiccup crossed his arms over his chest and sat back calmly with his eyes closed.

"Which is exactly what you weren't supposed to do! That was the WHOLE point!" the three fellow soldiers yelled at him.

"The entire point was basically an overly dramatic game of Simon Says! In military form!" Eret remarked.

"If we got told to do something; we're supposed to do it," Dagur sighed. "You're the only one in our platoon who refused to follow orders,"

"The point was to follow orders-," Hiccup began.

"Exactly!" Thuggory, Eret, and Dagur said together.

"If I might be allowed to finish," Hiccup glared. "The point was to follow orders as we were taught the proper fashion to do them," he added.

"Huh?" the three stared, mouths open.

"I only got the harsh workout because of how I corrected him, sarcastic and disrespectfully. But…I'm the only one who passed that exercise," Hiccup informed. "The point of the test was for the Drill Sergeants to see who followed their orders, whether right or wrong…Or if they'd follow military protocol as taught. You three followed them, despite the orders being incorrect. I followed the proper way of things despite ignoring a commanding officer. The entire point was to disobey them if they were wrong. You all failed; I passed, and that my friends…Is how come I was made Private First Class at the end of Basic instead of Private like the rest of you. I showed them I was a leader, not a follower," he stated calmly.

"How come we were never told all this?" Dagur inquired.

"Defeated the purpose of learning on your own and using common sense. Why would they go through all the trouble of teaching us how things are done correctly to suddenly turn around and have us do it wrong?" Hiccup asked them. "The point was to see if we saw the difference, and then do it the right way, Every one of you failed for _following orders_. I followed my heart and instinct," Hiccup shrugged. "Which, might I add, has saved your asses plenty of times on the battlefield,"

"Dick," Dagur, Eret, and Thuggory muttered as Hiccup shrugged again with a smile.

"I'm just really good at what I do," Hiccup said. "But if you'd like to revisit fuck ups in training; I got plenty for you three,"

"Like what?" Thuggory inquired.

"Alright," Hiccup sat forward. "How about the time you didn't listen in gun practice and the RPG launcher knocked you on your ass?"

"That was an accident!" Thuggory said quickly.

"Your footing was wrong, dude," Dagur rolled his eyes.

"You with being unable to stay in sync during marching practice," Hiccup looked at Eret. "What about you in the field training exercise, Dag? Run through enemy territory where there is immense heavy fire?"

"Seemed like a good idea at the time," Dagur mumbled.

"You don't run through enemy fire as a large group; you split up into smaller groups and move away from shot range towards a safe point," Hiccup gave a bored look.

"Excuse me, Mr. Hotshot-know-it-all," Dagur stuck his tongue out.

"So childish…" Hiccup sighed. "And it's Lieutenant Know-It-All to you," he chuckled.

"You're such an ass," Eret muttered.

"I didn't earn my rank for being nice," Hiccup reminded. "You fucks wanna keep being disrespectful because I'll make all three of you drop right know and give me fifty,"

"You wouldn't…" Eret said.

"Test me, boys," Hiccup stared.

"Sir, no sir," the three said.

"Come on, I'm just messing with you. Geeze, where's your sensor of humor? Still on the battlefield?" Hiccup asked. "Is it being held hostage or something? Do I need to rescue it? I'll go back and get it if I have to, but for Odin's sake; lighten up. I ain't gonna make you do nothing,"

"You get so serious!" Thuggory reminded.

"And we know you're no easy boss!" Dagur added.

"Well, one of us has to be the serious one in the group. May as well be the leader," Hiccup chuckled a bit.

"We never know if you're joking," Eret mentioned.

"Good…I like it that way. It keeps you on your toes," Hiccup laughed as Astrid leaned against him, holding her arms. "You cold, babe?"

"Little bit," Astrid admitted.

"Here, sit up a sec," Hiccup told her as she did so. Hiccup pulled off his black sweater and handed it to her. Astrid blushed a bit and slipped it on before Hiccup sat back and locked his arms around her waist as she laid back against him.

"I'll put more wood on the fire," Stoick got up and grabbed a log; he tossed it on. The fire sparked up with a slight burst of flames as Hiccup's eyes widened and he flinched, closing them tightly.

Astrid felt the movement and looked at her boyfriend. "Hiccup?" But he didn't respond. Hiccup lowered his head, taking short breaths, but clenching his fist a bit. "Babe?" she asked.

"What's up?" Snotlout inquired.

"I-I don't know…" Astrid replied with some concern. Gobber got up and moved closer to him, seeing what was going on.

"Off him lass," Gobber instructed as Astrid carefully got off her boyfriend's lap. "It's a flashback,"

"Why did I have to move?" Astrid questioned.

"So he doesn't attack you if he comes out of the flashback and doesn't recognize where he is right away," Dagur informed.

"Why would he attack her?" Calder Hofferson inquired.

"It's PTSD, Astrid," Eret told her. Astrid gasped a bit; this is what Hiccup had to deal with? "The fire sparking the way it did must has triggered him,"

"Why would it? He's…Been fine all night?" Ruffnut wondered.

"There's no real way to explain it; triggers can happen anytime, anywhere," Thuggory said. "We've had a lot of nights while deployed when it was calm, and then it just gets chaotic with being attacks, flashes from grenades and bombs,"

"We all have cases of it…But Hiccup's is probably worse. Not in the sense he's a danger to himself or others, but he definitely got the brunt of the stuff we dealt with as team leader," Eret continued.

"Let me guess…The mindset that the protection of his comrades is on his shoulders, and anyone who died in combat he feels his fault. Coupled by likely seeing quite a few of those deaths, or losing them in his arms?" Gobber arched a questioning brow at the three soldiers.

"Bingo," Dagur nodded.

"Yeah, I figured…I've been there; I was a Major myself," Gobber nodded. Gobber tapped Hiccup's cheek a bit. "Alright, lad…Come out of it now. You're alright…It's just a flashback," Hiccup seemed to snap out of it by inhaling sharply and blinking a few times; then shaking his head. "There ya go…Easy…Easy now. You're safe and sound with friends and family,"

"I'm fine," Hiccup composed himself.

"Yeah, okay…And I'm a Viking Blacksmith," Gobber rolled his eyes. "You have PTSD, Hiccup, and we all saw it tonight," Hiccup tensed a bit. "Nothing to be ashamed of, laddie. Flashbacks, nightmares, responding to war-like sounds are in the territory of adjusting to life after war. You'll be fine as long as you don't let it consume you, and you get help if you can't handle it on your own," Gobber reminded.

"We all go through it, Hiccup," Eret stated calmly. "Thug has had to snap me out of a few,"

"Eret's had to calm me down," Thuggory nodded.

"I still have trouble sleeping," Dagur admitted.

"You don't always have to be such a hard ass," Gobber ruffled Hiccup's hair a bit. "All four of you, listen to me on this…Alright?" the four soldiers nodded to him. "Your cases of PTSD isn't any more or less than others. Every single soldier who has served in a war deals with PTSD. I've been out for years now, and I still have my moments where I go back and remember my days in war. I will tell you from experience with myself and friends I know that the only way it gets worse is if you let it take over and control your life. Where you can no longer see the line between war and home,"

"It's perfectly normal to be triggered by the simplest of things, and a flashback now and then isn't bad. However, if it gets to the point where you can't seem to get any relief…Get help. Not talking to your buddies, not trying to close yourself off and deal with it; talk to a professional. Too many soldiers feel like no one will understand, don't get help, and eventually; it takes over and many of them end up falling into deep depressions and resorting to suicide. Always remember that some of the battles you fight won't be on the battlefield; they'll be with yourselves. And just like in war; you don't have to fight alone," Gobber continued firmly.

"I don't want to see any of ya get that bad. It won't be only you who suffers; it's the people who care about you too. Don't do that to yourselves, or them. Believe those feelings of helplessness and suicide; it can just happen without warning. I've lost a lot of old friends that way. I see them one day, laughing it up and having a good time; then a day or two goes by and I find out they are gone. So reach out and get help if you need it; there's no shame. Understand me?" Gobber asked.

"Yes, sir," Thuggory, Dagur, and Eret replied. Hiccup only nodded.

"Hiccup…Do you understand me?" Gobber asked.

"I already replied, why you asking again?" Hiccup inquired.

"Because you've always had a hard time opening up about stuff that bothers you," Stoick pointed out.

"Have not," Hiccup countered.

"Oh, no?" Valka arched a brow.

"I'm sorry, who shut down for two weeks, left a note and bailed in the middle of the night, joining the army for the last eight years after a misunderstanding with his girlfriend?" Gobber inquired. Hiccup was about to protest.

"And who kept it from his friends for nearly a year about said misunderstanding?" Dagur remarked. Hiccup huffed, sitting back with his arms over his chest.

"Fine, fine…You made your point," Hiccup mumbled. "You don't gotta worry about me,"

"A lot of my friends told me that too, Hiccup…" Gobber reminded.

"A lot of our comrades told us that too," Eret told Hiccup softly.

"Yeah…I remember…" Hiccup sighed.

"Bet you do, so maybe you don't knock us for worrying about you specifically," Thuggory muttered.

"What happened?" Astrid questioned gently.

"Nothing you need to worry about, babe," Hiccup said.

"But I-," Astrid tried.

"Trust me…You don't want to know, so don't worry," Hiccup cut her off lightly, glaring at his four soldier friends to be quiet.

"It was something that-," Thuggory started.

"I said; leave it alone. That is an order, soldiers. Do not make me have to repeat myself or I will actually get pissed off. Have I made myself clear, boys?" Hiccup narrowed his eyes.

"Yes, Lieutenant Haddock," Eret, Dagur, and Thuggory gulped.

"Good," Hiccup got up, stretching. That was enough for one day; he knew it was time to call it a night after having a flashback and all this seriousness about the dangers of severe PTSD. Hiccup knew, all to well, the end result of someone not getting help and ending their own life; he wish he didn't, but that's how things were. Not to mention, Hiccup just didn't feel right tonight. "I'm calling it a night," he informed.

"Babe?" Astrid asked.

"Yes, Milady?" Hiccup inquired gently.

"Want to spend the night with me, at my house?" Astrid asked. The area fell a bit quiet except for crickets.

"Uh…Your, uh parents don't let me sleepover their house, babe; they never have," Hiccup reminded, clearing his throat a bit.

"Oh! We don't mind, Hiccup." Asvora chuckled. "In fact, we never minded once you and Astrid turned eighteen and had graduated,"

"But we love that you've remembered and respected the original rule all this time," Calder laughed a bit. "You're more than welcome to spend the night, son,"

"Oh, um, thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Hofferson," Hiccup bowed his head. "Our of curiosity…Why do you want me to spend the night, babe? Everything okay?"

"Absolutely; I suppose I just miss sleeping in your arms," Astrid blushed.

"Well, I can't argue with that. Alright; I'll spend the night. I've got a bag of stuff in my car anyway," Hiccup stated. "Night everyone, love you all," he said goodbye to his parents and Gobber, then his cousins, aunt, uncle, and all his friends before leaving with Astrid. The two of them got in Hiccup's car and headed for the Hofferson household.

**. . .**

_[9:00 pm]  
[Hofferson Residence]_

Once reaching the house, Hiccup and Astrid bid her parents a goodnight and moved onto Astrid's bedroom. Normally, they'd stay up to talk or maybe watch a movie and end up making out a little. However, tonight; Astrid could sense that Hiccup was tired, so it was best for them to turn in. Also, Astrid heard Hiccup say he wanted to get some sleep while still at his parents' house, so it was a good indicator that he wanted to go to bed early tonight. It had been a fun day after all, and they had that house viewing tomorrow morning at 11 am; it would be good to get some rest and feel refreshed and energized for tomorrow. Hiccup changed in Astrid's room while she used the bathroom and brushed her teeth; he only put on sweatpants and a comfortable green t-shirt. Afterward; they switched for Astrid to changed into a red spaghetti-strap nightgown that reached to just above her knees while Hiccup used the restroom and brushed his teeth.

With both of them back into the bedroom now; they climbed into Astrid's bed with Hiccup's back against the wall and Astrid laying in front of him against his chest. Hiccup's arms locked around her gently before they shared a kiss. "I love you, Hiccup,"

"I love you too, Astrid," Hiccup replied as they got comfortable in their positions. Both of them closed their eyes, but as Astrid was about to ask Hiccup if he was alright from earlier; she noticed that he was already knocked out.

"I guess he was really tired," Astrid giggled a bit as she kissed his cheek; Hiccup's response was to tighten his grip around her figure. Astrid smiled as she relaxed and closed her eyes again; it didn't take more than ten minutes for her to fall asleep as well.


	16. Chapter 16

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**16.**

_=Hiccup's POV=  
[Sunday, 8/28/2022-7:15 am]  
[Isle of Berk; Hofferson Residence]_

Upon waking up at 7:00 am this morning; it honestly took me a bit to remember that I slept over Astrid's place. I'd never been allowed before, so it was definitely new for me to wake up in her bed with her in my arms. Oddly enough; I really enjoyed spending the night because I didn't have any nightmares. I got them now and then, nothing major, but enough I'd need to take a few minutes and splash my face to calm down and catch my breath. After awakening more, I noticed Astrid was still asleep and I knew shifting would wake her up; I didn't want to do that, so I stayed put in bed to just take in the fact she was mine again. Eight long years, but I had the love of my life back and nothing had ever felt more right to me. I guess I always knew deep down that the reason I couldn't move on is that Astrid is the one for me. No other dates or relationships gave me the feeling I get when I'm with Astrid. And from what I understand over the talks; Astrid had the same problem. A lot of times over the last eight years; I'd just get upset and start hating myself for not chasing Astrid.

I was just as wrong as Astrid was for leaving that night. I got upset that Astrid said no and ran off, but I didn't do any better by leaving the house and then deciding to join the army and get off of Berk to avoid her. No, I should have stayed and talked to Astrid about everything. And then what I know now about it being a mistake for her to say now; I would have known then and we'd probably already be married with kids by this point. I suppose there was no force on Earth that could turn back the hands of time now, but I would absolutely not let Astrid go again. I didn't care what happened; I'd fight for her as I always should have. That night; I vowed that there would always be a Hiccup and Astrid, that she had me no matter what, that I was with her. As long as I live; I'll never break that that again because honestly, I can't imagine a world without her in it. I can't live a life that she's not part of. How I survived the past eight years is a mystery to me, but I believe whole-heartedly that it was our love that got me through. The fact we're meant to be together, and living would bring us back into each other's lives.

I guess I was right because here we are. One day; I'd probably propose again and say all this stuff to her. A much more detailed and romantic proposal speech than the first; I wouldn't rush it, and I'd say absolutely everything I love about this girl in front of all our closest family and friends. I'd probably still spring it on her, but I know she won't run this time. We both know what this is; it's fate, destiny…Astrid Hofferson is the love of my life, and mark my words; she'll end up being my wife. I'd thought about it for a while, proposing again. I saw no reason not to, even if we just got together almost three months ago in June after eight years apart from when our three-year relationship ended because we both did something stupid. Astrid said no and ran away; and I join the army and basically ran away. Not a day went by that I didn't think about her, often regretting my choice. But I believe that what is meant to be will work out perfectly, and she's back in my life now; I won't lose her again.

It didn't matter how long we'd been back together; I knew who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with and it was her. As soon as I got all this house stuff settled and a few other minor details; I was going to do it. I was going to ask her to marry me again. It's another reason I wanted the house when the offer was suggested to me, Astrid would move in, we'd get married, and could start our family and not have go through the steps of moving into an apartment, then needing a house. No; I cut a lot of steps out by just going for the house. I suppose you could say it was all part of the plan. Since the moment Astrid said yes to being my girlfriend again; I've been working on making sure that we had each other for the rest of our lives. Of course, she has no idea, so it's gonna be one hell of a shock when she finds out. And the best part is; I know she'll be surprised, but happy about it.

At the moment; it was about 7:15 am and I felt Astrid start to shift in my arms. I smiled as she opened her eyes and looked up at me; she smiled softly and obviously, still tired. "Good morning, Milady,"

"Morning," Astrid said as I leaned in and kissed her lightly. "How long have you been up?"

"About ten to fifteen minutes; you looked comfortable, so I didn't want to move you," I said.

"I've missed this so much," Astrid closed her eyes again, snuggling up.

"Me too," I replied, resting my head against hers. "We should probably get up and start the day,"

"Do we have too?" Astrid mumbled.

"Yes, love, we do," I laughed a bit. "We gotta shower, get dressed, have breakfast, and then go see my hopefully, possibly, new house," I reminded.

"Totally forgot about that," Astrid admitted. "Alright, alright," she yawned and finally sat up. I did the same as she rubbed her eyes. We both got out of bed and shared a light kiss.

"You go first," I offered.

"Okay, be right out," Astrid smiled as she left the room to get the bathroom.

I smiled and sat on the bed to wake up more; I actually still felt a bit tired despite sleeping ten hours. I really hoped I wasn't coming down with something; I knew when I was about to get sick because I'd be out of it and wicked tired. That's how I felt last night, and now it's spilling over into today. I suppose the ultimate test would be after the shower and when we had breakfast. I felt kind'a bad about getting snappy with my friends last night; I knew they were concerned for me. My PTSD wasn't a secret; I was honest about having a mild case. But I can't be mad at them for worrying; we saw some real shit overseas that will stay with us for years to come. As team leader; I've seen and done a lot. I only shut them up forcefully last night because I didn't want Astrid or my family and other friends to know about all that war stuff. We were out of all that; there was no need to bring up the pain, no reason to bring war home with us.

At least, that's how I felt about it. One day I might tell Astrid some stuff about what I'd been through, but for right now; we only just got back together and I didn't want to throw all that sadness on her. I mean, if she asked; I would tell her. I know I didn't last night, but it was getting late and I didn't want to revisit all that stuff after just coming out of a flashback. I didn't need everyone to know. If I was going to tell Astrid, I wanted it to be a _us_ thing. Maybe a quiet night in private. It wouldn't be easy for me to tell her, but Astrid and I didn't keep secrets from one another. I'd probably explain that to her later today; that I have seen a lot of stuff and me not telling isn't me keeping secrets, but I just didn't feel that in front of everyone was an appropriate time. I knew she'd understand; that's one of the things I loved about Astrid so much.

Twenty minutes went by as I ended up using the half-bathroom that was between the kitchen and the living room; I got back to Astrid's room right as she came in with her towel on. "Oh, sorry. I thought you were getting dressed in there," I quickly turned my head.

"Hiccup, come on…It's nothing you haven't seen before," Astrid blushed a bit, enjoying how embarrassed I got.

"Babe, I haven't seen anything in eight years… And girl, let me tell you that you look different than you did. Not in a bad way, just…You filled out a lot. I always used to say you couldn't get more beautiful…I was wrong," I stated.

"Aw, babe…" Astrid blushed more. "Well, shower is open if you'd like to go. Mom and dad are already up and sitting at the table with breakfast ready," she smiled. I got up and moved into the bathroom. I loved that's been so long and I still remember the layout of Astrid's house. Getting through the front door; you were in the living room and directly off of that straight across was the kitchen and dining room with a half bathroom between the kitchen and living room. To the left of the entry hall; there was both bedrooms and then the one full bathroom in the middle of them. Astrid's room was at the front of the house, and her parents in the master bedroom were in the back. There was also a door in the dining room that led out to the backyard.

I made my way into the bathroom after waving to her parents who were sitting at the dining room table; then closed the door.

**. . .**

_[7:45 am]_

I felt a bit better after the shower. I did all my usual stuff and shaved; it had become habit for me to always have at least one set of clothes and my shower bag handy in my car. After all, you never know when you'd need it. Of course; I realized I left my clothes on Astrid's bed, so I had to go out in the towel to get to her room for them. I exited the bathroom and moved into Astrid's room while she was just brushing through her hair and pulling it back into the braid she loved to wear as her style; it always sat on her left shoulder.

"Left your clothes?" Astrid giggled a bit.

"Yeah…" I nodded, moving over to them.

"I won't look," Astrid smiled.

"Doesn't matter, I can get dressed without taking off the towel," I informed as I reached for my boxers and slipped them on with the towel in place; I repeated this with my pants. Once they were buttoned and zipped up; I took the towel off.

"Guess the military taught you a thing or two?" Astrid inquired.

"Not really; we don't care if we see one another. All the same parts as far as we're concerned, which isn't all that much. Granted; we've caught a glimpse or two when we're entirely nude. It's hard to avoid when you share a barrack with forty or so males, but most of the time; we don't care if we get spotted walking in a towel, or just our underwear," I shrugged. I turned to pull on my shirt when I felt Astrid was closer behind me.

"I didn't know you had a tattoo," Astrid pointed out.

"I have a couple actually. One on my back, the left wrist and right shoulder," I informed. Astrid moved to get a better look at the designs.

"What do they all represent?" Astrid wondered.

"Well, the one on my shoulder here is the tattoo version of the necklace my mom gave me before my first tour of duty; the symbol for the Night Fury. I was worried about losing the necklace, so I left it hanging in my barrack. On my leave after seven months; I decided to get the design tattooed. Mom asked me to keep the necklace with me because I'd had it since I was a baby when they didn't think I'd survive after being born two months early. Mom and Dad commissioned Gobber to make it, to show that I was strong like this dragon, and I'd survive no matter what. Seems to be the case," I laughed a little.

What's this piece on your wrist?" Astrid questioned, looking at it more.

"In Viking Times; this was known as the symbol for when the Heir became the Chief, like an initiation into the position. A Chief is supposed to be a leader, so when I became leader my unit; they said I should get something to represent the fact I have the heart of a chief and the soul of a dragon," I explained.

"That's…Pretty cool, Hiccup. And…The piece on your back says Alpha Stryker in a pair of dragon wings. Is that for your platoon?" Astrid looked at him.

"No, that's the name of the team that Dagur, Eret, Thuggory, and me make up. We've had that team name since the field training exercise in Basic Training. We decided to all get that tattoo done after getting stationed on Berserker Island. I think we had it done right before Snoggletog in December 2014," I chuckled a little. I felt Astrid running her hands on my back, then my arms. "Having a good time?"

"You're still leaner than most, babe…But damn with the muscles…" Astrid shivered a bit. I blushed a little and shrugged.

"Sorry? I think," I said.

"No…No, it's fine," Astrid cleared her throat a bit as I threw on my red shirt. "A lot of working out?"

"Here and there," I nodded. "Come on, let's go eat," I smiled, offering my hand to her. Astrid nodded as she took my hand and we left her room to join her parents for breakfast.

**. . .**

_=Normal POV=  
[11:00 am]  
[Isle of Berk; 1 Drage Drive]_

The morning was easy going through breakfast and then just sitting around until 10:45 pm when Hiccup and Astrid headed for the address he was given for the home he may take. From Astrid's house; it was fifteen minutes away, but from his parents and other friends; it was about twenty or twenty-five. However, Hiccup already figured out he was about eight minutes from the Berk Base, which made the most sense as to why it was military housing; it was close to work. Reaching the property; Hiccup parked along the sidewalk as he and Astrid got out and looked at things from the outside.

"Well, it's cute," Astrid smiled.

"Cozy," Hiccup nodded. Another car pulled into the driveway as Hiccup saw Drago step out. "Captain?" he asked.

"Oh, hello, Hiccup. Nice to see you again; it wasn't supposed to be me doing this, but last minute changes. I'm sure you're used to that in the military by now," Drago laughed a bit.

"Probably more than I should be," Hiccup agreed.

"And who is this lovely young land beside you?" Drago wondered.

"This is my girlfriend, Astrid. She's uh, the one I was with before joining. I'm sure you remember the story; I told it on the first tour in Syria," Hiccup hinted.

"Ah, yes, yes," Drago nodded with a smile.

Hiccup cleared his throat a bit. "Babe, this is my commanding officer; Captain Drago Bludvist,"

"Pleasure to meet you, sir," Astrid shook Drago's hand gently.

"You as well. I'm glad to see Hiccup so happy, was beginning to think he had a resting bitch face…" Drago commented.

"Sir!?" Hiccup paled. Astrid tried not to laugh.

"What, Hiccup? I'm sorry, but you always looked miserable and your head always in the clouds. Good Odin above, so serious…" Drago shrugged. Hiccup sighed heavily. "Lad, you are an exceptional soldier, but you never relaxed and let yourself have fun. I'm happy to see this lass is able to bring that forward in you, and I'm sure the entire company is going to be thrilled to find out you got back the lass you never stopped talking about," he laughed a bit.

"Captain!" Hiccup said quickly.

"We're all glad to see you happy, son; that's all that matters," Drago put a hand on his shoulder. "Now, shall we take a look inside?"

"Please," Hiccup asked, wanting anything to pull away from the awkwardness that just took place. Gods, all he didn't need was for Astrid to know she was always in his heart, on his mind, and in his conversations over the last eight years. Astrid giggled a bit. "You hush up,"

"Oh, come on…I wanna know about all this," Astrid hoped as Drago was leading them toward the house.

"We'll talk about it later," Hiccup assured. Astrid nodded as she held Hiccup's hand as Drago guided them into the house.

**. . .**

_[11:30 pm]_

"Well, we've seen everything," Drago stated as he looked at Hiccup. "What do you think?"

Hiccup took in everything he saw about this house. It was close to work, always a plus for him if there were long days and there always were in his line of work. There was a two-car garage, washer/dryer, big backyard, two bathrooms, and three bedrooms. All of it was incredible, and everything on his list of wants. Well, he didn't need the three bedrooms…But they could be guest spaces, maybe one office, and later down the line…Rooms for his and Astrid's kids. Having all this right now wasn't exactly a bad thing.

"What was the price on it again?" Hiccup inquired.

"Well, as it's rent to own…Everything is included, the rent would be $2,200.00. But with military discount, it's only $1,600" Drago informed.

"Not bad," Astrid chimed in.

"No, not bad at all. And I rent at that price until it's paid off?" Hiccup asked.

"Correct, Lieutenant Haddock. Original price of the house is $269,000," Drago mentioned.

"So, Original price is $269,000. Monthly payment $2,200, but discounted is $1,600. If I'm not wrong…" Hiccup lifted his head a moment, thinking. "It's basically a fourteen-year mortgage, right?" Hiccup asked.

"I…Think so?" Drago arched a brow.

"Still good at math I see," Astrid giggled a bit.

"Not hard. Twelve months to a year, twelve multiplied by fourteen is one hundred and sixty-eight. If you take $1,600 and multiply that by one-sixty-eight; it's $268,800. Which means my final payment in fourteen years would be…$1,800; two hundred more than the normal to make $269,000," Hiccup informed calmly.

"So…You gonna take it?" Astrid wondered. "I think it's beautiful and perfect," she smiled. Hiccup loved seeing the light in her eyes about this place; he could tell she had fallen in love with it. Hiccup guessed that was a good thing because soon; she'd be moving in with him and they'd be married, then likely having children. It had been eight years apart for them; there's no reason to wait on everything that could have been so long ago. "But, your house, babe," Astrid giggled.

Hiccup looked at Drago. "I'll take it," he nodded.

"I'll get the final stuff taken care of in the next couple of days to do signing on the first, and then it's all yours once you get the keys," Drago said.

"Thanks, Cap," Hiccup smiled, shaking his hand. "Now…How about we grab some lunch," he turned his attention to his girlfriend.

"I think that sounds great because I'm starving," Astrid replied.

"Oh, before I forget, lad…No drill this weekend. We decided to give you guys another month off from it…But you're still expected to show up for work Monday at 0600," Drago mentioned.

"Got it. I'll tell Dragon," Hiccup nodded.

"See you tomorrow, Lieutenant," Drago waved, getting in his car and leaving.

"Off to lunch we go," Hiccup led Astrid back to his car as they got in, buckled up, and headed off to Berkbees because it was closer to their location. Today had been a very good day, and Hiccup couldn't wait to move into his new house. Everything was going exactly according to plan.


	17. Chapter 17

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**17.**

_=Normal POV=  
[Thursday, 9/1/2022-5:00 pm]  
[Isle of Berk; Berkian Military Base]_

"That's it for today," the four platoon leaders, Johann, Krogan, Viggo, and Hiccup, called to their groups. A normal day of work for an active duty soldier was about eleven hours from 6 am to 5 pm. Sometimes it was shorter, and others it was longer. Thankfully, no weekends unless it was drill, which was the first Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the month unless they were deployed or something came up to change those orders. Today was over and the soldiers were freed to head home for the night, unless they lived on base; in which case, they went to their dorm.

Hiccup cracked his back and prepared to head off for the night as well; he and Astrid had movie and dinner plans for 6 pm. "Lieutenant Haddock," Drago's voice pulled Hiccup from his thoughts about the date with his girlfriend tonight.

"Yes, Captain?" Hiccup stopped, facing the main and saluting. Drago gave one back.

"Everything to finalize your housing is set; we just need a few signatures. Can you spare a few minutes?" Drago inquired.

"Just finished the shift, so yeah," Hiccup nodded to him.

"Great, right this way," Drago motioned. Hiccup followed him over to the housing office. Once inside fifteen minutes later, Hiccup was seated in a room with another officer who had some papers out; he had already messaged Astrid that he might be a bit late for something at work and would let her know when he was on his way.

"This will be quick, Lieutenant; just a few signatures and we're set. So, a quick rundown since were efficient like that. You selected a three bedroom, two bathroom, one level home on the Isle of Berk at the address of 1 Drage Drive," the man read off the file.

"That's correct, sir," Hiccup nodded.

"The price of this home is $269,000 in total; you agree to pay the amount of $1,600 for the next fourteen years to pay off the home, at which time it is entirely yours…This sum total is with the military discount, and includes electricity, heat, and overall care. After fourteen years, when the home is yours; it will become your responsibility to take on the bills and maintenance," the man stated calmly.

"Understood," Hiccup replied. "Though, I did have a question,"

"Go ahead, Lieutenant," the man motioned with his hand to continue.

"Is there a way to set up that the payment just gets taken right from the bank automatically? I dislike writing checks," Hiccup admitted.

"Lucky you, we prefer to do it that way anyway. Yes, we'll set all that up to take the payment on the first of every month. Sound good?" Drago chuckled a bit.

"Sounds perfect," Hiccup sighed with some relief. "So, you have guys that just come by to check everything, or do I report it if there's a problem?"

"We have people that will stop by to check things and take care of it if needed. This also continues if you should be deployed," Drago nodded. "Again," he added.

"Alright, perfect. That's great," Hiccup stated. "And…No random inspections? I can have friends, family over? Maybe have roommates?" Hiccup wondered.

"Correct," Drago said.

"Well, sort of. We do a once-a-year full house inspection to make sure everything is good with it," the officer informed.

"Oh, not so bad then. I assume I need to be home for that?" Hiccup asked.

"It won't take long, about an hour," Drago shrugged.

"No harm then; just give me notice," Hiccup said.

"We'll let you know a week before, and it'll likely be a Saturday or Sunday in the morning," Drago informed.

"Sounds good," Hiccup agreed. "Alright, where do I sign?" he asked. For the next fifteen minutes, it was all signing lines of agreements discussed and then setting up the automatic withdrawal from his account. Hiccup only had to worry about his phone, car insurance, and stuff for the house such as food and cleaning items. This was going to be great; he couldn't wait to have his own space. As soon as he was moved it; he was gonna throw a big house-warming party with his friends and family. And if all went well; he was asking Astrid to marry him too.

"Well, I think that takes care of things. We'll get this filed, and give you the keys tomorrow before you leave," the officer shook Hiccup's hand.

"Thanks," Hiccup smiled as he shook Drago's and then finally headed out to get to Dagur and Mala's.

**. . .**

_[5:45 pm]  
[Bazirk Residence]_

Getting to Dagur and Mala's house; Hiccup wasn't feeling so hot. Hiccup had felt a bit tired and achy since this morning when he got to work, but as the day went on; he felt worse and worse. Of course, Hiccup pushed it aside to focus on his duties, and then there was the excitement of finalizing his housing situation. But since reaching the Bazirk Household; Hiccup couldn't shake how shitty he actually felt. Hiccup sat on the edge of his bed, trying to keep the nausea down. A text came through as he checked his phone.

_**Milady, 5:45 pm  
Everything okay at work?**_

Hiccup opened the message and typed his reply.

_5:46 pm  
Yeah. At Bazirk's now. Babe, do you mind if we raincheck tonight's date? I'm not feeling so great._

Hiccup normally could push this stuff off, but he wasn't feeling like he could. Not more than two minutes later; Astrid was calling him. Hiccup slid the icon and set it to his ear. "Hi, babe," he answered.

"_Hi, baby. What's wrong?"_ Astrid asked.

"Started with some fatigue and aches this morning, and gotten worse as the day went on. Just got home about five minutes ago and been trying to not throw up since," Hiccup admitted.

"_Maybe you're getting sick? Want me to come over and take care of you? We can do the date another night when you're feeling better,"_ Astrid said.

"I don't want you to get sick," Hiccup informed. "If I am," he added.

"_Hiccup, don't be stubborn. We both know that when you get sick, it gets bad and you're gonna need someone to help you out. It might as well be your girlfriend who also happens to be a CNA. I'm gonna come over, okay? I'll be there in fifteen minutes. For now, why not just lay down until I get there?"_ Astrid suggested.

Hiccup knew better than to argue with her because when he got sick; it did hit him pretty bad. Someone always had to be helping him because he'd just be too sick to move on his own power. Sighing, and knowing he would end up needing the help, plus it would be nice to see her tonight regardless of canceling the date; Hiccup wouldn't say now. "Okay. I'll see you when you get here, babe. I'll be in bed, just come to the room when you arrive,"

"_Wow…You must be sick. Hiccup Haddock actually agreeing with something I suggest without a fight?"_ Astrid remarked sarcastically, but in a playful tone.

"Oh…Shush up and get here…Maybe seeing you will make me feel better," Hiccup replied. "I love you,"

"_I love you too,"_ Astrid hung up first and Hiccup set his phone on the nightstand to charge before just laying back on the bed, feet slightly off since he was still dressed in his uniform. Hiccup sighed out, closing his eyes. Gods, he didn't want to be sick right now.

**. . .**

_[6:05 pm]_

Astrid arrived at the Bazirk residence and parked; then knocked. After a moment; she was greeted by Heather. "Astrid? What are you doing here? I thought Hiccup was picking you up for a date at 6 pm?" Heather blinked.

"Change of plans; Hiccup isn't feeling well, so I figured I'd come check on him and help him if he needs it. When Hiccup gets sick; he gets it pretty bad," Astrid explained as Heather let her in and closed the door afterward.

"Ah, poor guy. I just got home myself five minutes ago; Fishlegs and I are going to dinner," Heather smiled.

"That'll be fun," Astrid said. "Fishlegs is a good guy,"

"Yeah…I know," Heather blushed a little. "Anyway…" she cleared her throat. "Uh, you know where Hiccup's room is. I gotta go get ready," Heather stated.

"Have a good time," Astrid said as she headed for Hiccup's bedroom. Once arriving, she knocked and poked her head inside. "Babe?" she asked. Astrid's eyes fell on Hiccup's sleeping figure as she smiled some and moved inside the room quietly. Of course, it didn't last because Toothless woke up from his place under the window and barked; instantly awaking and alerting Hiccup that there was someone in the room. "Toothless, ssh…It's only me," Astrid mumbled.

"He's just doing his job, Milady," Hiccup sat up, rubbing his eyes a bit. "He's a military dog, trained to alert their handler of intruders…"

"I'm your girlfriend," Astrid chuckled some.

"But he was outside when I talked to you; he didn't know you were coming," Hiccup informed.

"Ah," Astrid nodded as she moved closer to Hiccup and kissed his forehead; feeling that he was warm. "How are you feeling?"

"About the same as when I got home originally; it's only been about twenty minutes," Hiccup sighed.

"But symptom wise, how are you feeling, babe?" Astrid inquired softly.

"Headache, fatigue, no appetite, some nausea, achy," Hiccup listed calmly.

"You feel a bit warm too," Astrid mentioned after feeling Hiccup's forehead and cheek. "You said it started this morning?"

"The fatigue and aching, yes. Everything else wormed it's way into the mix a bit after lunch, but didn't eat much because the no appetite kicked in, and just felt blah by the time the day was over," Hiccup enlightened.

"I suppose we can rule out food poisoning…You'd likely be vomiting by now, and have stomach pain or cramps along with watery diarrhea. Maybe just a twenty-four-hour thing, or it could be a full bug. Slight possibility of it being the flu-," Astrid started.

"Gods, please no…" Hiccup begged.

"But flu season doesn't usually hit until October; that's why I said slight possibility. As I was saying; it's a hard call to make right now. I think it's just best if you take it easy tonight, babe. We can see how you feel tomorrow," Astrid informed lightly.

"Aye, aye, Doc," Hiccup gave a half-assed salute.

"I'll get you some water, but best to avoid food. You haven't thrown up, and mentioned nausea; best if we don't push that," Astrid stated. "Come on, let's get ya comfortable in bed,"

"I was gonna take a shower…" Hiccup mumbled.

"You still can if you want," Astrid smiled. "I can wait here,"

"Or…You could come with me? Dagur and Mala went out with the kids, and I think Heather has a date with Fishlegs tonight," Hiccup suggested.

"You…Want me in the bathroom with you when you shower?" Astrid arched a brow.

"Not…Like that. Just…Talking and keeping me company. I tend to take longer showers at night; relax and use the heat to ease the soreness away. I normally do it alone, obviously, but since you're here…?" Hiccup stated softly.

"Well, you go in first and let me know when you're _in_ the shower; then I'll come in and keep you company," Astrid agreed.

"Cool, thanks," Hiccup smiled a bit as he got off his boots and extra layers. Hiccup moved out of his temporary room and to the bathroom in the hallway; Astrid followed him and Toothless stayed put on his bed. Hiccup entered the bathroom first; he got the water going and stripped down before climbing inside and then closing the curtain. "You're good, babe," Hiccup called out to Astrid.

Taking a deep breath, Astrid opened the bathroom door and headed inside the space while closing the door behind her. Astrid didn't understand why she was so nervous either; it was not the first time she'd seen Hiccup naked or sat with him in the shower. The two of them did it all the time eight years ago when they'd dated, and used to make love. Perhaps it was just because things were still in a beginning stages of dating again? Astrid held the towel in her lap as she sat down on the toilet quietly.

"Feel awkward yet?" Hiccup inquired.

"A bit, even though we've done this before," Astrid admitted.

"I know; that's why I figured you'd be alright with it," Hiccup said. "I guess it's been a while,"

"Understatement much?" Astrid remarked. Hiccup laughed a little from within the shower. "Remember the first time we did it?" Astrid asked.

"Stayed in the bathroom with one another while showering? Yeah. We were almost seventeen, weren't we?" Hiccup inquired.

"Yeah, it was after my softball game. The girls were taking too long in the showers, so you snuck me into the boy's locker room and kept watch for me," Astrid smiled. "Pretty sure that's how we got into doing foreplay too,"

"Well, not that exact time, no. I think we had turned seventeen by the time we did that," Hiccup corrected. "It was a night my parents were out at some dinner and we were watching a movie in my room with the door open. You shifted a little and it turned me on,"

I remember now. You tried to hide it, but after we started making out; it was all over," Astrid giggled a bit. "Remember the first time we had sex?"

"I do, very well in fact," Hiccup replied.

"It happened, what? About a month after we started foreplay?" Astrid asked.

"Sounds right," Hiccup said. "Remember that we got caught and grounded from each other for two weeks, except for seeing one another at school? So awkward,"

"At least we'd just finished and were under the blankets," Astrid reminded. "And we purposely stayed after to spend more time together?" Astrid chuckled some. "Good times," she sighed contently. "But hey, our parents decided to meet up and talk about what happened during our punishment,"

"They figured we'd just do it behind their backs if they kept us grounded or constantly watched, so they gave us the sex talks and made sure we were both prepared," Hiccup responded.

"As long it didn't interfere with homework, didn't happen too much, and we semi-hinted when we'd be doing it; they were okay with us having sex," Astrid laughed a little. "I still think they only got mad because the first time we did it; it was out of getting caught in the moment and we didn't use protection. I only say that because my period changed a bit, and showed up a week. Mom thought I was pregnant, so we went to the doctors for a test. Came up negative, obviously, and the doctor said it was likely due to just having sex for the first time,"

"Well, I'm sure your parents hated it no matter what the reason…But I guess they realized after two years of dating, and the fact we would be eighteen soon; they realized they couldn't stop it either," Hiccup shrugged inside the shower. They did have a lot of fun as teenagers; that was for damn sure. And Hiccup loved that they could sit here and reminisce about it all. "You, uh…You still using that IUD or whatever it was?"

"No, I had some trouble with it and switched to the pills," Astrid informed.

"Trouble with it?" Hiccup asked.

"Yeah, some…Unexplained bleeding and pain around…I want to say it was…" Astrid thought a moment. "Just two years ago. Had to go to the hospital to get it removed, but they said everything was fine. No major damage, and I'd still be able to have kids," Astrid mentioned. "As soon as my cycle returned to normal; I chose to use birth control pills and haven't had a problem since,"

"That's good," Hiccup sighed with some relief as he shut off the shower and took in a deep breath before reaching out to get his towel; his hand rested on Astrid's shoulder, moving down a bit and sitting on her breast. Hiccup gave it a squeeze before realizing what it was. "Fuck…I'm so sorry, babe,"

"It's alright," Astrid blushed a little as she lifted the towel to give to him. Hiccup pulled it into the shower to start drying off. "I didn't mind,"

"If I recall; you liked me just massaging them," Hiccup stated.

"Mmhm, that and when you used your mouth on them," Astrid blushed a little more.

"Yeah…You always said I had a perfect touch," Hiccup smiled as he wrapped the towel around his waist and secured it in place before opening the curtain.

"Odin above, Hiccup…You're wicked hot…" Astrid eyed up his figure.

"And I wasn't before? Gee, thanks," Hiccup remarked sarcastically.

"I mean, you were…But you always hid it under the long-sleeve shirts…This…You…Fuck," Astrid couldn't even find her words. Hiccup had always been a lean-figured male, but he was strong even though it didn't show much because of the style of clothing he wore. But now, Hiccup was still lean, but actually _looked_ strong. The legs, arms, and chest had bulked a bit more and there was no denying the four-pack of abs.

"Wow…Did me gaining some muscle make you speechless?" Hiccup wondered. Astrid nodded to him. "I think I can accept that win," he chuckled before bending down a bit and kissing her forehead. "I'm still me, babe; this is just more…Defined me," he stated calmly. "Remember that I hit puberty late, so that could be why it seems different to you,"

"I'll say," Astrid blushed. "I totally forgot you started puberty late. What was it, like thirteen?" she wondered.

Hiccup cleared his throat a little, recalling how much it sucked when he didn't hit puberty around the same time as other teenagers did. The average was twelve, but some started at eleven, and some a bit later. Hiccup, unfortunately, hit it a lot later. "It was fourteen and a half…" Hiccup mumbled a bit.

"Nothing to be ashamed of babe," Astrid comforted. "You hitting it late is kind'a how us having sex for the first time happened because you were dealing with all the changes," she giggled a bit.

"Don't remind me…Not for all that stuff we did, just that because I started late…I finished late. They say it's between two and five years…I started right in ninth grade…And dealt with until nineteen or twenty…Yeah, sounds right. I stopped growing when I hit six-foot-one, at twenty-years-old," he muttered. "I think the rest stopped…Right before or maybe after we broke up," he added.

"I noticed you hit a growth-spurt between sixteen and seventeen," Astrid giggled a little. "It's all good, babe. Least it's done now and the overall finished product is incredible,"

"Would you stop eyeing me up like a piece of meat?" Hiccup grumbled as Astrid kissed his lips lightly. Hiccup smiled now. "Come on," Hiccup offered his hand to her as she got up and the two of them exited the bathroom and returned to Hiccup's room. Hiccup quickly got dressed in something simple and flopped back on his bed.

"Did the shower help at all?" Astrid inquired.

"Helped ease the soreness, but still feeling kind'a bleh," Hiccup admitted.

"Well, then it's time to rest," Astrid smiled. "I can stay if you want?"

"Up to you. Don't you have work tomorrow?" Hiccup asked.

"Don't you?" Astrid responded.

"Fair point," Hiccup nodded. "I just don't wanna get you sick,"

"I'll be alright," Astrid smiled.

"Well, as long as you're sure," Hiccup shrugged. "I won't fight you on it," Astrid went to change into her night clothes and flipped the light off before crawling into bed with Hiccup. Astrid carefully held onto him as he gave her a light squeeze and in the silence and darkness of the room; Hiccup fell fast asleep within fifteen minutes. Around ten minutes after that, Astrid slipped Hiccup's grasp to go make herself something to eat; it was an average peanut butter and jelly sandwich, two of them before she used the bathroom and returned to Hiccup's room. It didn't take long for to also fall asleep once comfortable and back in her boyfriend's arms. That was the end to both of their long days.


	18. Chapter 18

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**18.**

_=Normal POV=  
[Friday, 9/2/2022-4:00 am]  
[Isle of Berk; Bazirk Residence]_

Hiccup awoke to his Monday through Friday alarm going off, signaling that he had an hour to shower, grab a bite to eat, and get to work for 5 am. Of course, while Hiccup knew full well that he needed to get up to get his long day going; his body disagreed. Hiccup glanced down to find Astrid fast asleep in his arms; he smiled softly before kissing her cheek and breaking away gently to get up and start his day. Hiccup sat on the edge of his bed, and gave himself a minute to gage where he was currently at. Unfortunately; Hiccup's head was pounding and just overall felt sick to his stomach. Hiccup tried to shake it off as he got up and found his footing. Hiccup headed for the door, but stopped and closed his eyes a moment. Toothless perked his head up and rose, moving to his human's side, whimpering a bit.

"I-I'm okay, Toothless," Hiccup managed. Hiccup tired to catch his breath, but when he felt the vomit rise up; he left the bedroom and moved to the bathroom. Hunter quickly got inside and closed the door before puking in the toilet bowl. Hiccup threw up twice and coughed; then spit before panting a bit. "Ugh…" Hiccup wiped his mouth, flushing the toilet before sitting down on the floor and leaning against the tub. Hiccup hated how he felt right now, and if it was like then he wasn't gonna survive the day at work. Hiccup could hear Toothless whining outside of the door, scratching at it a bit.

"Toothless, stop it," Hiccup told him. "Lay down," he added softer. A few minutes passed as Hiccup heard footsteps coming down the hall.

"Hey, Toothless…Why are you guarding the bathroom door?" asked Dagur. Toothless whined a little, nudging at the door. "Hiccup in there?" Toothless looked back at the door. "Hic? You in there?"

"Yeah…" Hiccup groaned.

"You don't sound so good," Dagur pointed out.

"I'm f-," Hiccup instantly leaned over the toilet again, throwing up once.

"Are you throwing up?" Dagur questioned. Hiccup couldn't even answer before he puked again. "You okay?" he asked.

"I'm sick…" Hiccup panted a little and closed the lid, flushing the toilet again. "And feel really weak and lightheaded,"

"Let me help you out. You decent?" Dagur inquired.

"Yeah," Hiccup managed as Dagur opened the door and saw Hiccup sitting on the floor.

"You look like hell," Dagur stated.

"Hadn't noticed," Hiccup remarked.

"Come on, let's get you back to your room to rest," Dagur went over to help him up carefully. "How long you been in here?"

"Five or so minutes," Hiccup replied as Dagur supported him.

"How long have you been feeling sick?" Dagur wondered.

"Since yesterday after lunch, but seems to really be hitting the worst of it now. Woke up at 4 am with the alarm, and the nausea and vomiting hit two minutes later," Hiccup informed. Dagur helped Hiccup back to his room.

"You coming to work like this?" Dagur arched a brow upon reaching Hiccup's door.

"I can't exactly call out sick, Dag," Hiccup mumbled. Dagur opened the door and helped Hiccup inside to sit on his bed; the shuffling woke Astrid up. "I'm fine,"

"You are not," Dagur stated as Astrid sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"What's going on?" Astrid asked tiredly. "It's like 4 am…"

"Yeah, we're supposed to go to work for 5 am, but I disagree with Hiccup's choice to go since I just found him puking in the bathroom, and apparently he's been sick since yesterday," Dagur crossed his arms over his chest.

"Dagur, I'm fine. Once I get up and moving; I'll be good. I'll get through today and use the weekend to recover…" Hiccup mumbled.

"You've thrown up, babe?" Astrid frowned, flipping on the light that was on the nightstand.

"Yeah…Four times," Hiccup sighed. Astrid felt his forehead and cheek.

"You're warmer than last night, Hiccup," Astrid said softly.

"I can't just call out of work over a little sickness. Soldiers are soldiers all the time…" Hiccup retorted as he tried to get up, and failed.

"Look at you! You're pale, feverish, threw up four times, and you can't even stand Hiccup," Dagur huffed. "You're not going to work today, Bludvist will understand. Or they'll just send you home anyway, so cut out the extra time and stay here. I'm your second in command; I highly advise, sir; that you stay here and rest,"

"Now, wait a second-," Hiccup tried.

"As your girlfriend and doctor; I also advise the same course of action," Astrid joined in.

"I can't believe you're both ganging up on me like this. Dag, I'm in officer ranks; I can't just…Take days off," Hiccup grumbled.

"You can when you need them, Hiccup. Come on…For Odin's sake; we get thirty days per YEAR for vacation, death, personal, and SICK! Hiccup, you've been in the military for eight years, and we've been deployed three times…You never, ever take days off unless we're deployed. Now…Goddamn it, stop being so stubborn and just stay home today. I'll call Bludvist myself…" Dagur remarked.

Hiccup sighed. "Fine, fine…You win. I'll stay here…And no, I'll call him…" he agreed. "You sure you got today, though?"

"Hiccup, stop. You haven't even called out sick yet and you're worried about the workday you won't be attending…" Dagur mumbled. "Just…Lay down and take it easy, alright? I'm always at your side when we're at work; I know how to do your job," Dagur mentioned.

"Okay, okay…I'm sorry," Hiccup said.

"It's good. Now, I'm gonna leave you in Astrid's hands while I go shower and head for base," Dagur patted Hiccup's back once. "All I want ya to do is focus on you and getting better, okay? Love ya bro,"

"Love ya too," Hiccup replied as Dagur left the room, closing the door behind him.

"Go on and call your boss, babe," Astrid said softly. Hiccup reached for his phone, locating Drago's number. Hiccup waited through the four rings before there was an answer.

"Good morning, Captain; it's Lieutenant Haddock," Hiccup greeted, then a pause. "I don't need anything, sir; I'm just calling to let you know that I…Won't be coming in today," he informed softly. "I'm running a fever, and have thrown up four times since waking up at 0400…" short pause. "Started feeling tired yesterday, and the symptoms just got worse as the day carried on," Hiccup stated. "Fatigue, fever, nausea, vomiting, aching, weak. Staff Sergeant Bazirk insisted the idea I just stay home today and use this, and the weekend to get better. My CNA girlfriend also feels the same…" he mumbled. "I actually did forget it's drill weekend," he sighed. "A-Are you sure, Captain? I know we aren't supposed to miss that unless its an emergency," he replied. "As long as you say it's okay, sir. Thank you, and I'll see you Monday for sure," Hiccup responded. "Okay. Bye, Captain Bludvist," Hiccup ended the call and set the phone down.

"Excused for the weekend?" Astrid hoped.

"Yeah. Typically, we aren't supposed to miss the drill weekend without good reason. Even sick; it would have been confirmed by the base medic. But since Drago knows that for the time being; I live here with Dagur; he believes that if Dagur says I'm sick and need to be resting, then it's true that I'm sick. Dagur is my second in command for the Dragon Platoon, so what he says can be trusted," Hiccup explained.

"That's good then. Now, you need to rest, babe. Come on; it's still early. We can see how you feel again in a few more hours," Astrid offered. Hiccup nodded, not wanting to argue with his girlfriend with how he felt right now. Hiccup laid back down in his bed and Astrid stayed beside him. It didn't take long for Hiccup to knock back out as Astrid smiled, kissing his cheek, and getting comfortable to get back to sleep as well.

**. . .**

_[10:45 am]_

Astrid woke up a second time at 7:30 am, and quickly learned that Heather, Mala, and the twins were out; she already knew Dagur was at drill weekend. Hiccup was still knocked out on the bed, so she smiled and went to shower. Astrid made herself an egg on toast sandwich while Hiccup remained asleep; she was glad he was resting. Astrid tidied up the mess from breakfast and did the dishes; she even cleaned the kitchen, living room, and bathroom. Astrid was just finishing up a little dusting in the living room when she heard movement behind her and turned to see Hiccup walking towards her with Toothless on his left side.

"Hey…Morning, babe," Astrid greeted.

"Hi," Hiccup smiled a bit.

"How are you feeling?" Astrid came over to check his forehead and cheek. "Still a bit warm,"

"Still feeling everything from before, but not as weak now," Hiccup informed.

"That's good. Up to eating? I can make you something light, like toast? Maybe just some crackers and ginger-ale?" Astrid offered.

"I think I'll hold off for now, Milady. Thank you, though. What have you been up to out here?" Hiccup asked.

"Cleaning up a bit," Astrid shrugged. "I take it you don't want to sleep more?" Hiccup shook his head. "Well, we could just sit and talk if you want?"

"Yeah, that sounds nice. Should we stay out here or move back into the bedroom?" Hiccup questioned.

"Here is fine," Astrid said as she sat down, patting the spot beside her. "So how's life?" she giggled.

"It's great. Good job, awesome friends, loving family, and amazing girlfriend. Who could ask for more?" Hiccup stated.

"I guess those who want more than perfect," Astrid replied calmly. "How's the house thing going?"

"Fantastically. I was sick and tired last night, so I never got to tell you. I signed everything yesterday; it's mine," Hiccup chuckled.

"That's wonderful, babe!" Astrid exclaimed.

"I was supposed to get the keys today, but sick and all, so I'll get them Monday," Hiccup said calmly. "Now, just to figure out how to move in around work," he laughed a bit.

"I could help out if you wanted," Astrid smiled.

"I'd like that. We could do a good portion on the weekends, since we both have them off," Hiccup informed.

"And I could go over and do more on Tuesday and Thursday, since I have half days," Astrid offered.

"What would you do?" Hiccup blinked.

"I could put stuff away according to how you want it," Astrid giggled some.

"I suppose so," Hiccup nodded. The two were quiet a moment. "So…I've been wondering, since we both seemed to have the same problem; what kind of guys you end up with while we were broken up?"

"A wide variety," Astrid laughed some. "Some were just dates, others I dated for a little bit, but it never worked out," she added.

"I feel ya," Hiccup nodded, understanding. "What's been your longest, since me?"

"Relationship? Probably six months," Astrid said. "How about you?"

"Six, maybe seven. It was only because I was deployed, and the girl didn't feel right breaking up with me while I was overseas. I respected it, and we went our separate ways," Hiccup mentioned.

"Have you…" Astrid paused a moment, not sure how or if she should ask.

"What?" Hiccup wondered.

"I-I just don't want you to get mad if I ask…" Astrid stated.

"Babe, just ask," Hiccup invited.

"How many of the girls you've been with have you had sex with?" Astrid inquired.

Hiccup stared a moment before taking a deep breath as Astrid prepared herself for the answer, understanding fully that she and Hiccup were broken up for eight years, so it was likely that he'd definitely had sex with some of the girls he'd been with. "None," came Hiccup's response, entirely shocking Astrid; her eyes even widened.

"What?" Astrid blinked a bit. "What did you say?"

"To answer your question, about how many girls I've slept with since you; the reply was none," Hiccup repeated. "I haven't had sex in eight years, Ast. What about you?" Hiccup wondered.

"None as well," Astrid admitted.

"Really?" Hiccup arched a brow, not in disbelief, though. Astrid shook her head.

"Every time it went that far; I'd just stop. Like…Everything in me would turn off and shut down. I've never done anything more than make out with other guys, and maybe they've made a few thigh or breast rubs, but that's it. I always stop it and say I can't," Astrid confessed softly.

"How'd that go over?" Hiccup asked.

"It's usually what ended things, to be honest," Astrid told him.

"Because you wouldn't have sex with them?" Hiccup questioned.

Astrid gave a shrug. "Yes and no. There were some who didn't like that I wouldn't get intimate with them and then there were others who…" Astrid paused.

"Go on, you can tell me…" Hiccup urged.

Astrid took a deep breath. "Who didn't like that I admitted to not feeling right about having sex with anyone except the man I still loved…Which is you,"

Hiccup's eyes widened a bit. "Wait…You wouldn't have sex with anyone else because you loved me still? And you admitted this to them? That you didn't feel right about sleeping with someone who wasn't me?"

"Yes," Astrid nodded. "That was usually a deal-breaker in my relationships. As I would have expected; holding onto my feelings for you because they were genuine kept me from ever truly moving on. At the same time; I didn't feel like I could move on until we had talked, since we left so much unsaid eight years ago. But after talking; I realized that it wasn't due to leaving things so unfinished; it was that my feelings for you just never stopped because I truly love you, Hiccup. I haven't gone on any date, or been in a relationships, except for now with you, for two years. Probably around the time I had to make the birth control switch. My last relationship ended a month or two before that happened,"

"I mean, I feel where you're coming from on the never moving on because our love is real. I realize that now too," Hiccup stated.

"Did you feel the same about just…Getting turned off by anyone other than me? Or…Not feeling right?" Astrid questioned lightly.

"At least you were able to get turned on by others, even if you didn't go through with it…" Hiccup mumbled a bit.

"What do you mean?" Astrid looked at him.

"Astrid, dead serious with you here…I _couldn't_ get hard with anyone else," Hiccup confessed as Astrid's eyes widened. "There were a lot of dates, relationships, and even nights where I was drunk and had the chance to have sex…But I couldn't get an erection. I did the same as you, there was making out, touching…But that's it; couldn't get hard," he stated.

"But…You got hard with me the night we got back together," Astrid pointed out.

"Exactly. I can get hard with you no problem…I can even get hard masturbating without an issue. But if it was another girl…Forget it," Hiccup said. "I mean…It never felt right to sleep with someone other than you, and maybe that's why I couldn't get hard…I guess…After they'd leave because I couldn't perform or whatever; I'd sit there and try to figure out why I couldn't. Never found the reason, so I'd leave it be. But…I think I figured it out the time one of the girls, I guess, decided to give me another chance. She suggested I stroke myself to get hard and then we'd do it. Getting hard worked, but once she tried touch me; the erection faded almost instantly. She left, mad, of course,"

"Yeah, that'd probably be annoying," Astrid agreed slightly. "How did you figure out what was holding you back?"

"I constantly sat wondering why I couldn't get it up with anyone. Hell, I even thought about going to a doctor. But then I thought; _I never had this problem with Astrid_. And then it happened; I got hard. I hadn't touched myself or nothing; I just…Thought back to you, and how getting hard wasn't a problem then. I was confused, so I grabbed my tablet and brought up a porn website; watched a video of a girl masturbating and the erection faded. I closed it all down and thought about you; it came back. So…Yeah. I realized that despite all the time gone by…I just…Wanted you. I never got over you. I still loved you," Hiccup explained.

"When did you realize it?" Astrid asked. "Like…When did all this, test with porn and stuff take place?"

"If you want complete honesty…It was right before the third tour, when Heather and I had started to get closer. We'd been getting close before the third tour, probably about six or so months before. But we hung out a lot, had a couple _friendly_ dates, etc. We started holding hands, sharing kisses. At some point, we ended up making out and she'd get turned on and suggest foreplay. I agreed, since it had been a while trying anything intimate with a girl. Before Heather; the last try ended…Probably when I got home from the second tour. I'm pretty sure the girl left me because we tried to have sex, and same result; no erection. That was…November 2018? I think. Yeah, that's when the second tour ended," Hiccup said.

"So, this thing with Heather started September or October 2021?" Astrid wondered.

"Yeah, sounds right. Like I said, before that; we'd always been like brother and sister. But one day; we just got to talking and realized we had stuff in common and decided to hang more. Developed a crush, but always hesitated on making the big move to dating one another. Also, the third tour got announced in January 2021, so that put a hold on things too. I told her we'd talk after the tour, but I sort of became less inclined to ask her out when I learned in June 2021, two months into tour, that we'd be stationing on Berk after it ended. I knew I'd…Probably run into you and wasn't sure how that'd go since I'd realized I still love you. It goes back to the couldn't get hard thing," Hiccup informed.

"About…February 2021 is when Heather suggested we use foreplay to alleviate some of the horniness. She made the move on me first; trying to give me a hand and blowjob…But I wouldn't get hard. I think after she tried, and I mean tried her hardest, for ten minutes…I told her to forget it because it was no different than any of the other times. I asked her to be alone, and that's just kind'a when everything started to get put together. And it hit more when our stationing orders were announced; realizing I'd see you again. I understood at that moment that the reason I couldn't get hard was because they aren't you. Looks, personality, all of that; it wasn't the girl I fell in love with and that's when I finally got that despite the time apart…It was you who I wanted in my life. I figured we'd need to talk, and probably, more than likely; end up back together as we are now," Hiccup looked into her eyes.

"I guess I can say that I felt the same," Astrid nodded, understanding. "I love you, Hiccup,"

"I love you too, Astrid," Hiccup smiled softly. "I'd kiss you, but I don't want you getting sick," he added.

"I'll just make a running tally of how many kisses you owe me then," Astrid giggled a bit.

"I'm totally fine with this," Hiccup agreed as Astrid cuddled up with him on the couch. "I'll make sure I pay all that I owe back," he chuckled.

"I know you will," Astrid remarked. "Want to watch a movie or something?"

"Sure. I'll use the bathroom real quick, and meet you in the bedroom. I have Hulu and Netflix in there; pick whatever you want to watch," Hiccup smiled as he got up and she did as well. Hiccup went off to the restroom as Astrid and Toothless moved into Hiccup's room and got settled with locating a movie.

Hiccup was gone about eight minutes before joining then on the bed. "Are you okay?" Astrid wondered softly.

"Yeah, felt nauseous and threw up once; then let stayed put until it passed," Hiccup informed lightly as he climbed into the bed beside his girlfriend. "What are we watching?" He asked.

"Descendants. I didn't know it was up here, and I never got to see it," Astrid chuckled. "Do you mind watching it?"

"No, not at all! I actually always wanted to, though. Its Disney, so its gotta be good," Hiccup replied.

Astrid smiled wide as she kissed his cheek and they snuggled up on the bed while Astrid pressed play and the movie started. It sucked that Hiccup ended up sick, but he couldn't deny that he enjoyed being home and spending time with his girlfriend.


	19. Chapter 19

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**19.**

_=Astrid's POV=  
[Sunday, 9/4/2022-7:00 pm]  
[Isle of Berk; Bazirk Residence]_

I was glad Hiccup was finally feeling better; I didn't like when he got sick because it typically hit pretty bad. Friday night, since my parents were on a weekend vacation; Hiccup and I took refuge at my house that way he could rest without Dagur and Mala's twins couldn't harass their uncle while he was sick. I have found out that Heather is their Godmother, and Hiccup; the Godfather, defined as Auntie Heather and Uncle Hiccup. It was quieter for Hiccup at my house; he told me he appreciated the suggestion. We left the Bazirk home around 3:30 pm, and reaching my house; Hiccup took a shower and relaxed on my bed. We talked a bit, watched Descendants 2, and I had dinner, but Hiccup didn't want to test his stomach, so he passed on eating. Saturday was more of the same and Hiccup basically slept all day if he wasn't making trips to the bathroom to throw up or relieve himself. Here we are on Sunday, Hiccup said he felt a lot better; had some energy back. However; he still passed on breakfast and ate a little for lunch, something light. Hiccup managed to hold it down and we just had dinner at 5:30 pm; he ate a full meal and seemed to be doing alright.

Of course, my parents came home at 4 pm, so I said I was taking Hiccup back to Dagur and Mala's place; then I'd be later. Reaching the Bazirk Household; Hiccup and I entered the house to see the family sitting around in the living room. "Hey, welcome back," Heather greeted with a smile.

"How are you feeling? Dagur said you were sick," Mala asked.

"Feeling a lot better, Mala," Hiccup smiled.

"Oh, good; you're here," Dagur approached. "The boys say hi and hope to see you Monday,"

"I'll be there," Hiccup nodded. "No problems?"

"You really think they're gonna misbehave in your absence knowing you'll find out? And then come back to ream them?" Dagur chuckled.

"No, but it's my job to ask," Hiccup shrugged. "How was drill?"

"Average. More of the usual," Dagur said. "Oh, here," he handed Hiccup a set of keys. "Bludvist said to give them to you,"

"Thanks," Hiccup replied.

"What are they to?" Dagur wondered.

"My house," Hiccup said calmly.

"Sweet. If you need help; let me know. We can round up the guys to move everything," Dagur reminded.

"I know. Alright; I'm gonna go relax. You coming, babe?" Hiccup inquired as he looked at me.

"Of course," I smiled, holding his hand as we headed to his room.

"Hiccup, one more thing…This Saturday is the memorial at 5:00 pm; being held at Berk Hall. Family and friends invited; it's being held outside. Big after party, food and drink provided. Class D attire for the soldiers," Dagur informed.

"Got it," Hiccup nodded as we moved forward to his room. I didn't even need to ask Hiccup if he was alright; I saw his reactions to hearing the news. I knew Hiccup wasn't looking forward to this; it had to be hard to sit and remember everyone you'd lost while fighting in war. All I knew is that I would be by his side to help him as much as I could.

**. . .**

_[7:30 pm]_

Hiccup knew he wouldn't be going anywhere else tonight, so he changed into something comfortable before laying on the bed with a sigh. I joined him, of course and snuggled into his arms. "Are you going to be okay for the memorial?" I decided to ask.

"Hm? Yeah, I'll be fine," Hiccup replied. "It's not the first I've attended…And it won't be the last," he sighed a bit.

"So, what happens overseas when someone passes? You just…Wait for the tour to be over to hold the ceremony for all lost?" I wondered.

"No, we hold something overseas too. Usually the next day; we'll group up and do a little something for those we lost. But after tours is the big one, where we can actually stand together and mourn the losses; then have a couple drinks, those of us of age to do so, and remember the good times," Hiccup explained.

"So, is this for everyone is Alpha Company?" I inquired.

"It was supposed to be, but it was decided to break the memorial up into groups by platoon, so this one will be just for my boys in Dragon. All the platoon leaders, and Bludvist will attend too. Our group lost the most, so it's gonna take longer to get through name wise," Hiccup stated gently.

"What's this…Class D Dagur was talking about?" I asked, looking up at him.

"Those are different uniform types we have. Like…The uniform you saw me in back June, those are the Class A's. They represent the uniform for Active Combat, so deployed or certain types of training. Uh, Class T is our training uniforms; usually used for physical training sessions. We have workout wear, and then average training. We usually get told which to use and when. And then Class B is Battle wear; only for deployments. Then Class D stands for Dress Uniform; it's a formal suit for memorials, promotions, etc.," Hiccup mentioned. "We have a Class C as well, it's a less formal version of Class D,"

"That's kind'a cool. I guess they tell you what ones to wear, or do you mostly know when to wear it?" I questioned.

"We typically know what we're to wear," Hiccup confirmed. "If we know what the function is; we can assume. But I suppose sometimes; they feel it's necessary to tell us,"

"Right, understandable," I nodded. I had to admit; it was still surreal to me that Hiccup was in the military.

I still can't believe that he was going to give it up for a life with me, and then when I messed up; he went through with it. And now; it part of him. And it will be part of us as we move into our lives. I say _ours_ because of something very specific Hiccup told me before he went back to war in June on the 17th. Hiccup told me that he proposed to me, so I could be the one he spent the rest of his life with, and admitted that his desires on that have not changed. I knew that after all the waiting and heartache; Hiccup and I would be together forever now. I wasn't sure when we'd get married, but I knew it would happen one day. Hiccup and I felt the same in that regard, now that we finally had one another back; we weren't going to lose it again. It still scared me that Hiccup was in the military; I knew how dangerous it was, but who was I to tell him what kind of career to have?

If Hiccup was happy, so was I. I knew we'd be perfectly fine as long as we had each other. That's the way it had always been for us, and I fully believed in it after all the time apart. The night Hiccup proposed to me; he said something very specific that I've held onto all these years. Hiccup and I have been through everything together, and we could handle anything that came our way. Hiccup told me that I have him, no matter what. Whatever it meant, whatever I wanted it to mean; he was with me. There would always be a Hiccup and Astrid. And that has remained true for us. Despite the breakup, despite the time away from one another; we immediately reconnected as if nothing happened. Our friendship, and our feelings never died. And it's clear that even apart; we were never far from each other's thoughts because we never moved on or got over one another.

What Hiccup and I have is true love. And I'll fight anyone who says otherwise; I'm sure Hiccup will too. We waited and worked too hard to get where we are now. And when Hiccup popped the questioned again; I would have absolutely no hesitation when I said yes with the biggest, most excited smile on my face.

"So…" Hiccup broke me out of my thoughts. "I was thinking that…After the memorial, and all the moving into my new house…Maybe we can take that vacation to Dragon's Edge?" he mentioned.

I perked up instantly. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten,"

"No, no. Things have just been a bit crazy with getting out of war and what not. Also…Do you think you'd be able to get more than just three days off?" Hiccup wondered.

I arched a brow at him. "What do you mean? You want to go for longer than a weekend?" I asked.

"Yeah. I was thinking a week. A full seven days, just us. Well, Toothless too, but you get the idea," Hiccup stated. "I just…Really wanna be able to spend time with you, babe. It's been nuts since getting back, and what Dagur told me last Friday got me thinking. I never take time off unless I'm sick, or the deployment leaves. I have so much time I can use, and I want to spend a lot of it with you away from all this madness. I plan on taking the week after this one up to like…October 3rd," he informed calmly.

"Why so much?" I blinked.

"Well, I want time to move in without work getting in the way. All I really have is bedroom stuff; I gotta shop for everything else; that's gonna take some time that I don't wanna be doing after 5 pm at night. And once that's all set; there's gonna be a house-warming party so I can show it off," Hiccup laughed a little. "And then I want to take some extended time with you, babe. Just you, me, and Toothless out at Dragon's Edge. I want more than three days after being away from you for eight years, then getting called back to war early…I just want some…Uninterrupted, no responsibilities time with you, Ast," Hiccup explained softly, holding her hand.

"You wanna take from...The 12th to…October 2nd off? Three weeks of work to move in, have a house-warming party, and then…Spend time with me?" I inquired, making sure I understood right.

"Yep. I was thinking the house-warming on Friday the 23rd; you sleepover…And then from the 24th to the 2nd. It's you, me, and Toothless at Dragon's Edge," Hiccup suggested. "I mean we'd probably come back sometime around midday on Sunday the 2nd, and then I'd go back to work Monday the 3rd. What do you think? Up for spending…A week with me?" he asked.

How could I say no? A week with Hiccup, just us? Well, Toothless too, but I knew those to were a package deal. Besides…I loved Toothless; he was adorable and so well behaved. "Alright, I'll put in for those days at work then. Well the 23rd, and then the 26th to the 30th. But…I want to bring Stormfly if you're bringing Toothless," I mentioned. Stormfly was my dog; I just got her when I started working at the Berk Hearts Animal Hospital. It's also an adoption center; Stormfly was an abandoned, abused, and sick puppy who has bonded to me as her caretaker, so I adopted her just after Hiccup went back to Iraq in June. Stormfly is about two years old. I know Toothless is five or maybe it was six.

"That's absolutely fine! Toothless loves her anyway. I was actually going to suggest you bring her along," Hiccup chuckled a bit.

"Think maybe we can have a night where our friends join us while we're camping? A cookout or something? I remember when our families used to do joint trips over the summer; I miss it," I inquired.

"Sure, I'm cool with that. We can invite mine and your parents too. I think we were supposed to do a trip, just us teens over the summer after graduation," Hiccup said.

"Yeah, but then everything happened," I nodded.

"Hey, don't think about it. I know it happened, but we're past all that now. We have each other and our future to keep moving towards," Hiccup pulled me over and kissed my forehead. I smiled and blushed. I couldn't wait for this trip! I'd been trying to bring it up, but I knew Hiccup was under a lot of pressure and stress with work. I knew his job as Second Lieutenant and being Platoon leader for Dragon kept him busy. Plus he had the house thing going too. I was so glad he brought it up, and I found it incredibly romantic that he expressed wanting to just spend time with me. Yeah, we'd have our friends and parents up for one night; they'd probably just stay for dinner and leave later on. But the rest of the time was all Hiccup and me. I couldn't wait; this was going to be so much fun. I absolutely needed to remember to put the days off I needed into the vacation time book at work tomorrow.

"You feel okay to go to work tomorrow?" I asked him.

"Yeah, I should be alright," Hiccup replied. "I feel a lot better than yesterday. I suppose I have my personal nurse to thank for that," I blushed instantly.

"I-I didn't do anything special, just made you rest," I reminded.

"And I guess that's all I needed," Hiccup looked deeply into my eyes. "You're all I needed. This is why I said the vacation would be good," he added. "I feel like I'm not spending enough time with you. When we were teens; we spent every chance we got together, as friends and lovers,"

"Babe, it's fine. We spend plenty of time together," I assured. "We're just busy being adults,"

"Yeah, well when we go on vacation; I'd like to not be an adult for a while," Hiccup laughed a bit. I smiled and leaned into kiss him gently.

"I'm with you on that one," I agreed afterward the kiss ended. This felt good; it felt amazing to be like this again. I knew Hiccup agreed with me even if we didn't say anything out loud. "I'm really looking forward to the vacation,"

"Me too. I could use a break from everything," Hiccup admitted.

"You okay? Seemed kind'a down in that statement," I wondered.

"No, I'm good. Like Dagur mentioned; I never take vacations, babe. I have so much vacation time saved up because whatever I don't use for the year gets rolled over into the next one. The only leave I took was while deployed on the three tours. I'd either take two weeks in the middle of the tour once. Or one week each at two different times during the tour," Hiccup explained.

"On your leave, did you come here to Berk?" I inquired softly.

"I did. Mostly stayed at mom and dad's place. Snot and Adel with their parents would come see me, and you know Gobber lives there already. Didn't do much; I didn't even see the others. They learned I joined the military the same time you did," Hiccup stated lightly. "I didn't think the twins could keep a secret, and at the time; I didn't want you to find out and end up over worrying for my safety and putting your life on hold for my sake,"

"Well, seems like we both ended up kind of doing that. Not moving on with our lives, always on each other's minds," I laughed a bit.

"I know, but we tried to move on regardless of where we've ended up now," Hiccup informed.

"I understand what you mean," I nodded gently.

"A lot of my leave time was just trying to get some rest," Hiccup chuckled some. "It's rare overseas,"

"Is it?" I looked at him.

"Well, we get sleep when we're not working. But it's not like…A good sleep. No deep sleeps, that's a better way to put it. Always on guard, light resting; the smallest sounds wake you up or you're just unable to fall asleep because you're anticipating that the minute you close your eyes, something will happen," Hiccup explained lightly.

"Oh, that sucks. I see now why you sleep so deeply while home," I smiled now. "Well, shall we watch a movie or something? I plan to go home around 10 or 10:30 because I have work tomorrow. It's only about 8 pm now,"

"Sure. You want to pick it, or should I?" Hiccup inquired.

"I picked the last few. Your turn," I invited. "Plus it's your room; I don't get a say,"

"You're my girlfriend, of course you do. We do everything together, as partners," Hiccup said as I blushed again. Hiccup got the remote and flipped on Hulu; he browsed a moment or two and located a show called Vikings. "You see this before?"

"No, but looks interesting," I stated.

"Well, we can watch a few episodes then," Hiccup put it on as we got comfortable to watch. I was happy; I really was. Everything in my life finally felt right again. And everything was going to stay perfect for us; I fully believed in that.


	20. Chapter 20

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**20.**

_=Hiccup's POV=  
[Saturday, 9/10/2022-4:30 pm]  
[Isle of Berk; Berkian Hall]_

The past week had been interesting to say the least. I went to work Monday morning and after getting a minute to myself; I spoke with Drago about the vacation I wanted to take. I explained that I knew it was extended, but I needed some time to clear my head. Also, that I wanted to get my house in order and take my girlfriend camping. Drago said it was fine and that I more than earned it, so that, for me; would start on September 12th and go until the 2nd of October. Yes, I was missing another drill weekend, but Drago said we wouldn't be doing much except organizing, inventory, and cleaning; he assured I wouldn't be needed for all that. The last thing my commanding officer said was for me to have a good time and come back ready to work. I promised that I would and he signed off on everything by the end of the day for me. The rest of the week was the average stuff while I made sure I had my things packed up to take to the new house. On Friday before we all left; I told the guys I'd see them in October on the 3rd, but I was taking some personal time off. All any of them did was laugh, say finally, and have a nice time.

I also used the week to make the camping reservations; I got Astrid and me a nice lake site with a rented RV to use. I was really looking forward to this trip. Unfortunately, for that to come; I needed to get moved into my house first, and do this memorial for the fallen soldiers of Dragon Platoon. I really, really wasn't looking forward to this because it was ALL the losses from the third tour that lasted sixteen months and we lost a lot; about fourteen. It was just under half the platoon, and it hurt. I'd been holding it together pretty well, but I wasn't sure if I could do it tonight. I didn't know if the others could either. As the days drew closer to today; we'd all been feeling the dread hard. I'd arrived ahead with Drago, Viggo, Johann, and Krogan to make sure everything was set up and ready; going over how the process would go.

"Hanging in there?" Krogan asked, pulling me from the thoughts.

"Hm? Yeah…Yeah, I am," I replied to him.

"You sure?" Johann inquired. I shot an unamused look at being asked a second time. "Never mind," he said quickly.

I sighed. "Sorry, Johann. I didn't mean to give you a dirty look; I'm just not looking forward to this,"

"None of us, Hiccup," Viggo placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "But, we owe it to them to honor their sacrifice,"

"I know," I nodded. I checked the time; people would be arriving soon. I invited my parents, Gobber, Astrid, her parents, my cousins, and my aunt and uncle. I know Dagur invited Heather, Mala, and the twins. Heather subsequently invited Fishlegs. Eret invited Ruffnut, who, of course, brought her brother too. And Thuggory brought Camicazi. I didn't know who else was coming for family or friends from the remaining eighteen members in Dragon Platoon, but I was sure this was gonna suck for all of us in the troop. None of us wanted to do this, but we knew we had to for the ones we've lost.

"Haddock, your unit, their guests, and yours just arrived," Drago stated.

"Aye, sir," I nodded. _Here we go_. I thought.

**. . .**

_=Normal POV=_

As the group arrived; Dagur, Eret, and Thuggory went right to Hiccup. "Hey, guys," Hiccup greeted.

"Hey…" Eret said.

"I know…I know…It sucks," Hiccup stated. "We'll be alright," he told them.

All four of them, and the other soldiers present were wearing dark brown dress pants, black dress shoes, and then a green dress coat that accessories. The officers had black ties, while anyone under didn't have one. Everyone wore a black belt with a gold clasp. Each right side of the jacket chest pocket had a white tag with their last name engraved into it. The left pocket showed pins for the enlisted members, but the officers had medals. Officers wore black hats, while enlisted members had berets. Hiccup went over to greet the others; he knew he didn't need to tell Heather or Mala about this event because they'd attended them in the past after the first and second tour. However, the rest didn't know; except maybe Gobber as a former military man himself.

"Hi, son," Stoick said softly.

"Hey, Dad, Mom, everyone else," Hiccup replied. "I'm sure Gobber may have already told you how this works, or you've figured it out on your own, but in case I'm wrong…" he paused. "This is a memorial ceremony for all the members lost in the Dragon Platoon from this past tour in Iraq. Think of it as a big scale wake, with an after party to follow,"

"I told them on the way over, lad…We know to be on our best behavior," Gobber interjected.

Hiccup nodded, figuring that Gobber probably took care of this for him, knowing it was already hard. "Just tell us where to be," Valka smiled a bit.

"This way," Hiccup informed as he led them towards a section of tables in the front. Drago insisted it be that way since Stoick was Hiccup's father and the Mayor of Berk. Stoick, Valka, Gobber, Spitelout, Freda, Calder, and Asvora sat at one table. Astrid, Snotlout, and Adelaide were together, and Hiccup would be joining them afterward. Heather, Fishlegs, Mala, Dagny, and Magne were at another table; Dagur would join them. Thuggory, Camicazi, Eret, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut were at another. Even Toothless was here tonight, present beside Astrid because he was part of this too; some of the dogs were lost.

The time seemed to drag on until 5 pm. Everyone was either standing or sitting to pass the time. Hiccup hadn't been social, though; he kept quiet in his spot. Drago finally approached. "It's time, Lieutenant Haddock," Drago said. Hiccup took a deep breath, getting off that he was leaning against. Drago put a hand on his shoulder. "I know it's hard,"

"Everything in life is, Captain…" Hiccup stated as he walked forward with Drago and stood in his position beside Viggo on Drago's left.

"Lieutenant Haddock…Would you mind quieting them down?" Drago asked. Hiccup brought his fingers to the corners of his mouth and giving a loud whistle until the room was silent. "Thank you," Hiccup gave a nod in response as he set his arms behind his back and legs at shoulder width apart like the other platoon leaders. "Now…It's time to begin. Won't everyone please take their seats?" Drago inquired. Everyone did so, remaining quiet. "We're here tonight to honor our fallen heroes lost during the recent deployment to Iraq," he began. "We've lost many throughout the company in sixteen months, and to save time and overpacking this place; we separated the memorials between platoons. Tonight, we honor and remember the soldiers of the Dragon Platoon, led by your own Second Lieutenant Hiccup Haddock," Hiccup never moved from his spot; he stayed firm in place. "And I believe it's only fitting that as he is their leader; he leads this tonight. Hiccup?"

Hiccup finally moved, taking Drago's place. It had been discussed before everyone showed up; he was supposed to say a piece for those lost, but now he found that his words had left him. Of course, this was the worst time to freeze and Hiccup didn't even have stage fright; this was just him not knowing what to say. Regardless; he couldn't just stay quiet. _Come on, Hiccup…Say something. Anything. It doesn't have to be a speech, or even long. Just show your group you're with them, honoring and mourning the same as they. They're looking to you to lead as you have been for so long. You can do this._ Hiccup told himself.

"He's hesitating," Dagur mentioned.

"He's never had to do this before, speak on behalf of those we lost," Eret reminded.

"It's always been Viggo up until Ryker passed on the third tour while we were on leave. Hiccup was only Viggo's second in command before Viggo moved to Viking Platoon, and Hiccup bumped into Second Lieutenant for Dragon," Thuggory stated.

"I don't even think it's about all that…" Astrid said gently as they glanced at her. "I think it's just…Painful. How do you stand in a room full of people and try to offer any form of comfort when everyone is hurting for the same reason, especially yourself?"

Hiccup took a deep breath. "I regret to inform that I'm not my father; I'm terrible at speeches, and don't like them because I personally feel that they take up far too much time. Also, I'm ridiculously unprepared for such, so…My platoon knows that I'm really good at winging things that somehow, by a grace of Odin, end up working out," Hiccup started.

"Yeah…" Eret stated.

"Ain't that the truth," Dagur added in.

"Hush you three," Hiccup smiled. "So, I'm not sure how much comfort this is gonna offer to those of us standing here mourning the people we lost over the course of sixteen months, but here we go. In true Dragon Platoon fashion; I'm gonna wing this, hope it works out, and keep it simple," he added. "They say that the two hardest things in life are saying hello for the first time, and saying goodbye for the last. So why should we stand here today and make it hard on ourselves when we know that the people we've lost wouldn't want us standing here being all upset that they're gone. They'd be shoving us around, telling us to suck it up. They'd want us taking shots, getting drunk, acting stupid, and going on like they're still with us," a few laughed, saying yeah, and agreeing with him.

"A long time ago, a really good friend of mine lost someone in war and I told her that those who no longer walk with us in life, fly beside in death. Years later, just this past June; that friend, who also happens to be the love of my life," Astrid blushed intently at his shout out to her. "And all you know who she is because I never shut up about her," Hiccup laughed a bit. "She said those same words back to me when I was standing around thinking about the people we no longer have with us. Thinking on those words now; it begs the question of what I said before about acting like our friends are still with us. Why do we have to act like it when we know they are? Just because they aren't here with us physically, and we can't see them doesn't mean they're gone,"

"Come on, we all know that they are here with us right here, right now. They're making sure we're good, watching our back as we all do for each other. They know we're missing them like crazy, but they won't want us to mope around. They want us to celebrate their lives, their sacrifice to our home. These losses weren't just soldiers; they were comrades, friends, a second family. And what do we do when we lose someone? We mourn, then we celebrate the good times. Why should that change now? So, here's a suggestion for us to get through this. If one of the hardest things to do is say goodbye…How about we don't do it then? Let's not say goodbye. Let's just say so long for now, until we meet again. And in the time we're all...Separated, let's celebrate them. Who's with me?!" Hiccup yelled out.

"YEAH!" the soldiers called back, cheering and smiling.

"Well said, lad," Drago nodded.

"Don't think I could have done a better job," Viggo smiled, patting Hiccup's shoulder. Johann and Krogan did the same. Hiccup felt good; it still sucked, but he was happy to see the smiling faces.

"Now…Let's wrap this up and celebrate," Drago stated.

"Yes, sir," Hiccup nodded to him. "Soldiers! Attention!" he shouted as the group of twenty-one snapped to position. "Honoring our fallen heroes and friends, prepare the crosses!" Hiccup ordered.

"Sir, yes sir!" the soldiers replied back as they moved to start getting what they needed.

"What's _the crosses_?" Tuffnut wondered.

"It's something used in the military to honor fallen soldiers. You'll see, the lad will explain as it's done," Gobber informed. The soldiers all grabbed a gun, boots, helmet, and a set of dog tags; there were fourteen sets of this, so the remaining soldiers who didn't grab something had pictures of the fallen soldiers.

"The battle cross represents the loss of a soldier on the battlefield. There are four pieces that make it up, and each piece represents something different. The rifle, inserted bayonet down signifies that the soldier went down fighting," Hiccup said as the soldiers placed the guns down. "The boots at the base to signify the soldier has taken their last stand," the boots were set at the base of the gun together. "The helmet on top, representing it's place on the head of soldier it once protected," he stated as the helmets were carefully balanced on the butts of the guns. "And the dog tags on the handle, revealing the soldier; the hero, who has fallen," the sets of dog tags hung on the handle of the guns. As this happened, the soldiers placing dog tags, worked with the ones holding pictures to place them where they belonged.

"Crosses set, sir," Dagur informed firmly.

"Dragon Platoon, attention!" Drago demanded as all twenty-two members stood in a straight line. "Hand salute for final roll call for the soldiers who have come home," Drago stated. The soldier brought their hands up as Drago began naming the fourteen who died in battle. On a screen that everyone could see; it showed the picture of the one who fell. In the midst of this, Viggo, Krogan, and Johann handed guns to Hiccup, Eret, Thuggory, and Dagur. "Stryker Unit, prepare gun salute," Drago said as the soldiers without guns stepped back, but kept their hands in salute.

"Stryker Unit, present arms!" Viggo commanded as the four soldiers brought up their guns. "Prepare arms," he said as the soldiers raised their weapons up. "Load!" he ordered as the weapons were prepared. "Fire!" he shouted as the guns went off together. This happened fourteen times, one shot for each fallen hero. The guns were eventually set at their sides as the ceremony concluded. The guns were put away, but the crosses remained up and probably would the rest of the party.

"That ends it, now let's celebrate," Drago said. "You did great, Lieutenant,"

"Thank you, sir," Hiccup replied calmly. Finally; it was over. The last thing to do was celebrate the lives of those who fell. Gods, Hiccup wanted a drink. He needed something to take the edge of how much this sucked off. Hiccup finally sat down at his table and took off his hat before sighing.

"That was lovely, what you said, son," Valka stated lightly to him.

"Just…Went with what felt right to say," Hiccup replied.

"You okay, babe?" Astrid put her arms around his shoulders softly and kissed his cheek.

"Yeah, I am. Just sucks, you know…" Hiccup told her. "Every platoon, the four that make up Alpha Company, had thirty-six members each. Okay? That's one hundred and forty-four people. I forget the totals of the others, but ours lost fourteen on the last tour in the course of sixteen months,"

"I know, baby; I'm so sorry," Astrid frowned. "It'll get easier with time,"

"I know it will, but you never forget," Hiccup informed. "Thanks for being here for me tonight,"

"You know you didn't even have to ask," Astrid chuckled a bit. "I would have snuck in, or begged if it meant I could be at your side,"

"As I would for you," Hiccup smiled a little before turning his head and kissing her deeply.

"Ooh!" his platoon teased him.

"Oh, fuck off all of you," Hunter mumbled as Astrid hid her face in his shoulder.

"Stop being such a dick; we're here to have a good time. You know they'd all be doing the same thing if they were here," Dagur stated. Hiccup, sadly, couldn't argue that. "Come on," he said, holding out a shot for Hiccup.

"We're all doing one," Thuggory mentioned. Hiccup stood up, taking the shot from Dagur.

"Dragon Platoon, on three; For our fallen friends and heroes; here's to you," Hiccup said raising his.

"One…Two…Three! For our fallen friends and heroes; here's to you!" the platoon called out as they raised their glasses and then drank it down before laughing. Hiccup sat back down as Astrid draped herself over his shoulders. Maybe today wasn't great, but it wasn't awful either. With the hard part out of the way; things could now turn to a after party, a celebration of life for those who were lost. Hiccup knew what was to come, though; a lot of talking about old memories and there would be music, food, and a slideshow of when these people started with dragon platoon, and when it ended. This was hard to get through, but Hiccup knew it'd be okay. He was surrounded by friends, family, and his amazing girlfriend.

"Permission to celebrate life, Lieutenant Haddock?" his three unit members asked with a salute.

"Permission granted," Hiccup saluted back with a smile. It would be a decent night with friends and memories of ones who passed. Tomorrow; Hiccup started moving into his house, and then…He was going on vacation with Astrid. Hiccup couldn't wait.


	21. Chapter 21

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**21.**

_=Normal POV=  
[Saturday, 9/10/2022-7:00 pm]  
[Isle of Berk; Berkian Hall]_

The celebration of life party was going fantastically. Everyone was having a good time enjoying the provided food, drinks, and entertainment. It was fun and sad at the same time, everyone was just going over memories they had with the deceased; Hiccup had many, but some of his last with these people were painful because he either saw the death happen, or it happened in his arms. Unfortunately; that made it all the harder to get over and celebrate their lives when they had lost their lives with Hiccup. Sometimes; he felt like an utter failure, but he'd think on it and remember that a lot of what happened was outside of his control and he can't be with everyone at all times. At least, that's what he was told during a couple of sessions with a professional when the pain began to build more. Hiccup knew he had PTSD, and he'd been very open with having a case of it to his family and friends. Hiccup dealt with flashbacks, reacting to loud sounds that resembled bombs or guns. And stuff like this with memorials brought back the day his friends died. And the only reason it wasn't tearing him apart was because he knew every soldier in the room was dealing with the same thing.

In some weird way, that made things more bearable for Hiccup; knowing he wasn't alone. Everyone was wandering around or sitting, but all were talking. Some had already left the event, but it was only going until 8 pm anyway. Hiccup had to stay as the Dragon Platoon leader; he'd had a few drinks, but was only buzzed. Currently, he was sitting at the table with Astrid, her parents, his parents, and Gobber. Spitelout and Freda had left, and Snotlout would be taking Minden and Adelaide home in his car.

"So…What are all those medals for, Hiccup?" Ruffnut decided to ask.

"Stuff I earned for various reasons," Hiccup replied calmly.

"Yeah, most of it is heroic action while seving," Eret chuckled.

"What that one? All four of you have it," Minden inquired, pointing to a specific one on his suit.

"That's the…Valorous Unit Award; it means we earned it as a unit for valorous duty," Dagur informed.

"Wasn't that when we got stranded in Afghanistan, just the four of us but took on an attack?" Thuggory looked at Hiccup.

"We didn't get stranded in Afghanistan," Dagur corrected.

"We elected to stay behind to save the rest," Hiccup informed. "It was the middle of a bad attack, and the extraction chopper couldn't leave when it had wounded soldiers aboard. We elected to stay behind and fight the platoon-sized group of enemies to give them a chance to escape. We were rescued the next morning,"

"We earned the medal for choosing to stay behind when it meant we could very well be killed in an attack that big on our own. All we had were our rifles, the SAW, and handguns," Eret added in.

"It was the heroic sacrifice we were willing to make to save the rest of the platoon, and it was on Hiccup's call that we did it," Dagur said.

"What's that red heart one?" Astrid wondered.

"It's called the Red Heart; awarded for either dying or being wounded against enemy forces while serving in war. If you pass on, the award is given to your families. If you live, it's awarded to you. Hiccup earned it the first time he got hurt in Syria, which was the first tour. Hiccup got shot in the back of the shoulder while going back against orders to save a fellow soldier who had been wounded badly and couldn't move on their own. We had been told to retreat, and the guy told us to leave him behind and go. Hiccup refused my orders and went back for his comrade anyway, ultimately saving his life," Viggo walked up with a smile.

"Hiccup carried this guy on his shoulders out of enemy territory and to the extraction point all while wounded himself," Thuggory said.

"He lost consciousness as soon as he reached the jeeps," Eret rolled his eyes.

"And nearly died from blood loss…" Dagur mumbled.

"All of Lieutenant Haddock's medals have been awarded for either serving, good work, or heroism," Drago chuckled.

"You all have these three too," Ruffnut pointed out to Eret's jacket with the pins on them.

"That first one is the Army Overseas Service Ribbon, self-explanatory; earned for serving overseas. And then these three reflect that we served in Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Any country we serve in for; at the end of the tour, we get this to represent that we served there," Thuggory informed.

"Wow, impressive babe," Astrid chuckled. Hiccup just shrugged with a smile.

"Just doing my job," Hiccup replied softly.

"So, how do you like the house, Hiccup?" Krogan inquired.

"I love it, haven't started the move in yet. That'll be tomorrow," Hiccup said. "Just been spending the last couple of days packing up what I have at Dagur's and making the arrangements to get the rest of my room there,"

"Oh, we'll bring it, Haddock. Just let us know when to transport it," Drago chuckled.

"I told you many years ago that we'll handle all your moving needs," Viggo smiled.

"Well, in that case…Can ya bring it tomorrow around…I don't know, 10:30 in the morning?" Hiccup inquired.

"Certainly," Drago nodded.

"Want us to help you out?" Eret questioned.

"You gonna be awake at like 7:30 am, because that's when I'm starting," Hiccup stated.

"Dude, why so early?" Thuggory complained.

"Because I wanna get it done that much faster, and we all know I'm an early riser," Hiccup laughed a bit. "It's no big deal. I'm moving the stuff from Dagur's first and getting it situated before I do the rest of the moving container where everything else is,"

"Okay, we'll come over for ten to help with that," Eret smiled.

"Fair enough," Hiccup agreed.

"Hiccup, isn't this when you met Toothless?" Dagur asked, pointed to the screen where the slideshow was going. Hiccup glanced at it.

"Yeah. Well, just scenes. I have the full compilation of us spending time bonding on my computer," Hiccup nodded.

"Oh, can I see it?" Astrid hoped.

"I'll show everyone when we do the house-warming party," Hiccup stated.

"It was hilarious," Johann laughed some. "You two did not start off well,"

"Yeah, but he's my best bud now. Aren't ya, Toothless?" Hiccup said as the dog put his head into Hiccup's lap, enjoying being scratched on the top of the head.

"Well, thanks, dick," Dagur mumbled.

"Oh, come on. Let's night fight over me…I love you all equally," Hiccup informed.

"But I'm your favorite," Astrid smiled.

"I have no favorites," Hiccup claimed.

"Excuse me; I was first friend and girlfriend…" Astrid remarked.

"Milady, you will always have a special place with me," Hiccup stood up, bringing her against him. "Your place in my life cannot be replaced by anything or anyone," he cupped her cheek and kissed her deeply. Astrid blushed intensely, but didn't dare stop what was happening; she loved Hiccup with her everything, and loved that he wasn't shy in showing everyone that he loved her.

"Hey, boss…Can we do the thing that we do overseas during memorials?" asked one of the other males.

"Define _thing_? And which boss you referring to?" Drago arched a brow.

"Was talking to Lieutenant Haddock, Captain. And can we?" the man inquired.

"What thing, Lund?" Hiccup looked at him.

"We want to know if you'll do the song about us doing what we do for the people we love," a female wondered.

Hiccup arched a brow at her, then it hit him. "Oh! You mean Archian Soldier?" he asked.

"That's the one!" a few smiled.

"You guys know it; you don't need me," Hiccup reminded. "And you can't say we always do it, because I only just started it during the last tour. It's not even for memorial; just general purpose,"

"And we don't know it because it was unfinished. We only saw the first couple lines in your notebook," Eret said.

"Why the hell were you in my stuff?" Hiccup glared.

"You left it on your cot, open to be seen. It was fair game," Dagur chuckled.

"That is entirely beside the point!" Hiccup remarked. "And I just finished it when the tour ended. I haven't even done it with music yet. Been busy,"

"Oh, stop. So…Since it's finished now…Can you show us?" one of the girls hoped.

"You…Wrote a song for soldiers, Lieutenant Haddock?" Drago questioned curiously. Hiccup nodded.

"Yes, sir," Hiccup replied.

"And why is this the first I'm hearing of it?" Drago asked.

"Was saving it for the next drill weekend that I actually ended up attending since I was sick for September's, and I'll be on vacation for October's," Hiccup said.

"Well, let's hear it then," Krogan chuckled.

"I just said it wasn't entirely done; it's not recorded with the music…The only way to hear it is if I sing it live with the music playing," Hiccup informed.

"Then do it," Thuggory smiled.

"Must I?" Hiccup sighed.

"Yes, and if you question it one more time; I'll make it a direct order," Drago grinned.

"That's so unfair and a total abuse of power as captain…" Hiccup retorted. "Fine,"

"Whenever you're ready," Drago invited.

"Can ya gimme a minute to find it?" Hiccup muttered. After a moment or two; he located what he wanted and hooked it up to the computer with the slideshow and music going. Hiccup grumbled quietly as he got everything set. "This is called Archian Soldier, a song for the members of the Archian Military. It had a lot of inspiration from the tour, me happening to overhear different things and found a way to make it into a song that best describes us," he said after getting the microphone. The music started very simple before he took a breath. _"I'm just trying to be a father, raise a daughter and a son. Be a lover to their mother, and everything to everyone. Up and at 'em bright and early, I'm all business in my suit. Yeah, I'm dressed up for success, from my head down to my boots," _

"_I don't do it for the money; there's bills that I can't pay. I don't do it for the glory; I just do it anyway. Providing for our future is my responsibility. Yeah, I'm real good under pressure; being all that I can be. And I can't call in sick on Mondays when the weekend's been too strong. I just work straight through the holidays, and sometimes all night long. You can bet that I stand ready, when the wolf growls at the door," _Hiccup sang as Toothless howled out, bring a smile to Hiccup's lips as he bent a bit to rub the top of his dog's head. _"Hey, I'm solid. Hey, I'm steady. I'm true down to the core," _

"_And I will always do my duty, no matter what the price. I've counted up the cost; I know the sacrifice. Oh, and I don't want to die for you, but if dying's asked of me…I'll bear that cross with honor, cause freedom don't come free! I'm an Archian Soldier, an Archian! Beside my brothers and my sisters; I will proudly take a stand. When liberty's in jeopardy; I will always do what's right. I'm out here on the front lines, sleep in peace tonight. Archian Soldier…I'm an Archian Soldier…"_ Hiccup continued. It was an amazing song, and more shocked to learn that Hiccup wrote it.

There was a break in words as the music just played through until Hiccup took another breath to start again. _"Yeah! An Archian Soldier. An Archian! Beside my brothers and my sisters; I will proudly take a stand! When liberty's in jeopardy; I will always do what's right. I'm out here on the front lines, so sleep in peace tonight! Archian Soldier…I'm an Archian…An Archian…An Archian Soldier,"_ Hiccup finished as the music played a bit longer, and eventually faded off.

All the guests in attendance for tonight's memorial began clapping and cheering. Hiccup set the microphone back in place before removing his phone and returning to his seat. "We all want copies," his friends demanded.

"Well, when I finally getting around to recording it; you can all have one," Hiccup stated.

"How long until then?" a girl inquired.

"Every time I get asked; I'm gonna push it back another week," Hiccup grumbled. "I'm technically on vacation starting Monday, so it ain't gonna be until after that is over,"

"You said you were on vacation for October drill," Eret said.

"Nah, I'm taking off like…Three weeks. From, technically the 12th to the 2nd," Hiccup informed.

"Why are you taking so much time off?" Dagur wondered.

"I suppose you could say that your words got to me last week when I was sick, about having so much saved vacation time and never taking it," Hiccup mentioned.

"Yeah, I meant that you wanted to go to work when you could barely stand and I was sure the captain would understand you missing drill weekend," Dagur remarked.

"But you were right about me having all the extra time, Dag. We get, what, thirty days a year for various reasons, all paid. I've been in the military for eight years, and the only time I ever take off were the breaks from war. We've been on three tours, where we get an approved two full weeks in the middle of the deployment, or two one-week vacations at separate points during the tour. I only take deployment vacations. I've got all the other days still rolled over from other years, so I decided to use some of them," Hiccup mentioned.

"But why three weeks all at once?" Thuggory asked.

"And why didn't you ever use the time you had, son? We could have seen you more," Stoick stated.

"Well, I never took the vacations because I…Didn't want to be here on Berk, running the risk of bumping into Astrid. I know we probably could have fixed things years ago, but I didn't know that back then because I was stubborn and stupid about thinking there was no way to possibly fix what happened between us. Either way…Now that things have been remedied, and we're stationed here on Berk; I need time to get my house together, and doing it at 6 or 7 pm after work doesn't sound like any type of something I want to take part in. So I decided to take two weeks to get that set up, as I need to completely furnish it," Hiccup informed.

"And what's the last week for?" Gobber arched a brow.

"To relax at home," Hiccup said as Astrid arched a brow at why Hiccup didn't just tell them it was because they were going on vacation to Dragon's Edge. Hiccup shot her a look that said; _I'll explain later_. Astrid understood and smiled. "I just wanna take a week to relax and enjoy my house," he added. "I'm doing all the work for it, some time to sit in and enjoy it would be nice,"

"His reasons don't matter," Drago chimed in. "He has the time to take off, so he's allowed to take it whenever he wants as long as we aren't deployed. He's an officer, so him missing drill weekend isn't against the rules as he's usually leading it. I can substitute as platoon leader for a couple days,"

"Appreciated, sir," Hiccup said. "Don't hurt 'em too much,"

"No promises," Drago grinned. There was an audible gulp heard from the twenty-one soldiers who were going to have to deal with Drago through the October drill weekend.

"Hiccup…Please don't leave us with him!" someone pleaded.

"He believes in physical training for like four hours!" another stated.

"Oh, stop it. You'll be fine," Hiccup rolled his eyes. "A little extra work never killed anyone before,"

"Says the guy who has some of the best physical fitness scores in the company…" a few mumbled.

"I didn't join the army to half-ass the work that comes with it," Hiccup said. "Now, enough already. You're soldiers, stop whining like pageant queens,"

"Yes, Lieutenant Haddock," the soldiers in his platoon replied together.

"Good," Hiccup said as he stretched and yawned.

"You look exhausted, babe," Astrid pointed out.

"A little," Hiccup shrugged to her.

"Well, I think you've done your part here, Lieutenant," Drago stated.

"Sir?" Hiccup arched a brow.

"Go on home," Drago told him.

"But…It's my platoon's memorial, I feel I should stay," Hiccup reminded.

"And I feel you shouldn't disobey orders before I ensure that you're actually exhausted before leaving here tonight. I wasn't suggesting or asking you to go home; I'm telling you to," Drago demanded. "You're gonna have a busy two weeks getting your house in order, and I'm sure you'd like to be well rested for it. So go rest,"

"Sir, yes sir," Hiccup saluted gently. "You, uh, spending the night, Milady?"

"I am helping you tomorrow, aren't I?" Astrid asked.

"You're waking up at 6:30 with me?" Hiccup blinked.

"Of course. I told you that I was helping you with this; you said I could," Astrid smiled.

"That I did, but I still didn't think you wanted to be up at the ass crack of dawn with me to do it," Hiccup chuckled. "Also won't fight you on it,"

"Good boy," Astrid joked. "I'm ready," she grabbed her light jacket and purse.

"Toothless," Hiccup called, and gave a whistle. Toothless darted to his left. "There you are," he smiled. "Alright, let's go," he offered his arm to Astrid as she linked her hand around it and held on. "Night," he told the others.

"We'll see you tomorrow, Hic," Dagur said.

"You know…Don't worry about helping me with the house. I kind'a promised Astrid that it could be an _us_ project, and I don't want anyone seeing the house until it's done because I'm weird like that," Hiccup shrugged.

"You sure?" Eret asked.

"Positive. It your guys' day off; I'm not gonna take it by having you do stuff we do at work, moving shit around and cleaning," Hiccup chuckled. "You'll all get to see it, finished, at the house-warming party on the 23rd. It's a Friday, I'll figure out the time later on and let everyone know,"

"Well, alright. If you change your mind; we're a phone call away," Thuggory reminded.

"I know," Hiccup nodded as he said bye to everyone with a wave and left with Astrid and Toothless. Hiccup couldn't wait to get his house done, have that party, and then enjoy his vacation with Astrid. The two of them got outside and settled into Hiccup's car, buckling up.

"So…Out of curiosity here, why didn't you just tell them we're going camping?" Astrid inquired finally now that they were alone.

"Oh," Hiccup laughed. "Because I know how our friends work, and I don't want them copying the idea," he said.

"What do you mean?" Astrid wondered.

"If we told them about the trip now; they'd all suddenly show up to go camping as well and say _oh, what a nice surprise that we're all here_. There goes us having the time to ourselves as planned because you know they'll want to join up for meals and what not. I figured not to tell them until right before we leave, that way they don't have time just book sites last minute. I know it's kind'a cold and mean of me, but I was dead serious about wanting to spend time with you, babe," Hiccup explained.

"I don't think it's mean," Astrid smiled. "It is absolutely something they'd do. I appreciate that you're…Protecting our vacation so intently,"

"Well, then you're welcome, Milady," Hiccup leaned over and kissed her before starting the car and driving to Dagur and Mala's house. This would be the last night he spent there because tomorrow, no matter what; he'd have his bedroom set up and saying in his new house for the first time. And then the next two weeks were entirely dedicated to getting the house furnished up and fully done for the party on the 23rd. After that; he and Astrid were headed to Dragon's Edge for a much-needed vacation alone with their dogs. Neither of them could wait.


	22. Chapter 22

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**22.**

_=Astrid's POV=  
[Thursday, 9/22/2022-8:00 pm]  
[Isle of Berk; Hiccup's House]_

Well, it had been an interesting two weeks since the memorial for Hiccup's fallen friends from the last sixteen-month tour in Iraq. Hiccup and I got to Dagur and Mala's place around 7:30 pm; we both showered and relaxed in his temporary room. Hiccup and I made sure everything except a set of clothes for that Sunday morning was ready; then we watched a movie and knocked out around 10:30 pm. Bright and early on the 11th of September; we woke up, ate breakfast, and got right to work in moving the bedroom items from Hiccup's temporary room to his new house on Drage Drive. After getting those items squared away how Hiccup wanted them; the truck arrived with a few extra hands to help us finish up the bedroom. We set the few bathroom items where those belonged in the master bath, and then we headed out to do the not-so-fun part of having to furnish a home; buy the stuff to furnish it with.

The first thing Hiccup and I did, was grab lunch at McViking; it was simple and easy. Around 1 pm; we headed to the furniture store to handle the bigger pieces for the house such as dining room and living room sets. Hiccup was currently using one of his two extra bedrooms as an office, since he did have work to do from the military at home sometimes; it made the most sense to use a free bedroom rather than shove it all in the master room. As Hiccup had the vacation time; he decided to have the store deliver the pieces on certain days so it would give him time to clean before it arrived. The military did a good job of cleaning, but I knew from the past that Hiccup had his own style of what clean was. I had to admit; it was fun shopping with Hiccup. Not just because he had a wonderful sense of style, but because he let me give my input on things.

On almost everything; he'd ask _what do you think?_ It was nice. I loved that he valued my input; I helped pick the living and dining room sets. With the big stuff taken care of; we moved on the regular store to get accessories. Things like curtains, electronics, cleaning stuff, utensils, plates, pots, pans, cups, a couple of area rugs, towels, etc. And one of the most important, food. By the end of all that; it was 5:40 pm. We got back to the house and put the food away first and foremost, and when that was done; we decided to do an oven-made pizza for dinner. As it was late; we were both exhausted. I left around 7 pm to get home since I had work on the 12th. Unfortunately, I had such a busy day that I didn't get the chance to go back to Hiccup's to help him out Monday night, even though I was off at 4 pm. I went home and showered, then had dinner, and knocked out shortly after.

I worked Tuesday, the 13th, and despite having half a day or work; I had time to go home and get a shower before a dentist appointment at 1:45 pm. After that; I had a couple other things to do for mom and dad while they were working until 5 pm. We had dinner together as a family, and I ended up with a headache, told Hiccup, and he suggested just getting some rest. Wednesday was another full day or work, but Hiccup managed to come see me for lunch and we ate outside of the animal hospital at one of the circular picnic tables. Hiccup told me that the dining room set arrived earlier that morning and the delivery guys helped him get it set up in it rightful place. I also learned that Hiccup got all the accessories put away where they belonged before coming to see me for lunch.

Wednesday night; I had begun to feel worse than just a headache. I grabbed a bath instead of a shower, but it didn't help. I was so tired after getting out, dry, and dressed that I crashed on my bed around 8:30 pm. Thursday brought me learning I was sick with a fever as the confirmation that I was sick. It hit me full force when I woke up, but I muddled through my half workday and went right home to rest after the shift ended. Hiccup decided to take a break from house things to come take care of me as I'd done for him. I felt bad because I knew he took this time off to work on the home, but he assured me that it was fine and there wasn't much else to do until the living room set came on Monday; it was supposed to be Friday, but it had to be pushed back because of a booking deliveries issue.

I, unfortunately, had to call out on Friday because I was nauseous and could barely move. Hiccup and I wondered if I caught whatever he had, deciding that it was likely. And it was confirmed that a bug was going around according to news reports. I stayed sick through Saturday night, and thankfully woke up on Sunday the 18th feeling ridiculously better. Hiccup and I decided to get breakfast together, take a walk in the park, and then go to an afternoon movie. To thank him for taking care of me while I was sick; I made dinner for us at my house. We hung out for a bit until 9 pm, and then Hiccup left. I texted him a bit and knocked out around 10 pm. Monday, the 19th, after work; I stopped by Hiccup's to see the progress on the house. I couldn't believe how amazing it looked, and the living room set had arrived too.

I honestly had to say that Hiccup had done phenomenally with the place despite me barely being able to help between being sick and work all last week. Hiccup said it was alright, and he understood. I loved that Hiccup got everything put away, the curtains were hung, everything was stocked and cleaned to Hiccup's standards. The house was really coming together well. Hiccup assured there was still a lot more work to do, such as little knickknacks and pictures for decoration. On Tuesday, the 20th, when I got out of work, Hiccup and I went back to the store to get pick out some outside seating and décor. All of that arrived the next day, Wednesday the 21st and was set up to how Hiccup wanted it to be. We also did a buttload of gardening, but it was fun. And today, Thursday, the 22nd, Hiccup and I got a bunch of pictures done for him to hang up on the walls or on tables and stuff. In fact, we just finished the last one and stood back to admire everything.

"Well, it took two weeks, but it's finally done," Hiccup said with a proud look on his face, nodding in approval of everything.

"It looks great, babe," I smiled. "And the house-warming is tomorrow at…4:30, right?" I asked.

"Yeah, I told everyone on Monday, so they'd have time to arrange any plans to make it. I know everyone is dying to see it," Hiccup chuckled.

"I know," I nodded. "But it's exciting, Hic," I giggled.

"I suppose so. Oh, we do have a few more things to put out," Hiccup suddenly said before going to the entry way closet, which was kind of behind the door to get into the house; he got a mat out and held it up.

"A welcome mat," I laughed some.

"Come on," Hiccup said as I followed him out of the house and we set the mat down. "And now over here to the mailbox," he held my hand and pulled me over to it. Hiccup handed me a sheet of stickers with letters and numbers on them. I understood; it was to put his name on the mailbox. I placed a number 1 on the front as Hiccup was working on his name. I poked in and helped him out with setting a _H._ in front of the _HADDOCK_ on both sides.

"Now, it's perfect," I said softly as we moved back inside the house and he closed the door. "It looks great, Hiccup,"

"Well, I didn't do it myself. A lot of this you helped me with," Hiccup reminded as we took a seat on the couch.

"I guess I just know your style; it's kind'a like mine," I shrugged.

"That's why I trusted your judgement when we picked stuff," Hiccup smiled. "The twins tried so hard to get me to hire them,"

"Hey, they do a pretty good job," I stated.

"I know; I've seen their work. But I guess I just wanted this to be a me thing. Well, me and you. I had fun with it," Hiccup enlightened.

"I guess it was a nice couple's activity," I admitted.

"I guess you have to head home soon, huh? You have work tomorrow," Hiccup informed.

"Actually…I took this Friday off for the party when you mentioned having it. I figured you'd want a little help cleaning up and preparing for everyone to come over," I said to Hiccup.

"Well, I don't need it…But I'll gladly accept it," Hiccup replied. "Would, uh, like to sleep over? I plan on going shopping in the morning for all the stuff; then cleaning and cooking everything before every arrives,"

"Sure. Should I take the guest room?" I wondered.

"Ast, you're my girlfriend and we've shared the bed plenty of other times. You can if you want, but I don't mind us being in the master together," Hiccup chuckled a little.

"Well, I figured we were sharing because we were either at Dagur and Mala's or my house. This is _your_ place, so I didn't know if the situation would change," I blushed a little.

"I like sleeping with you," Hiccup said. "I meant that as in us…Actually sleeping and sharing the bed, not the sex…Although that was great too," he confessed nervously.

"Won't disagree with you," I responded to him gently. "Most couples don't start that sharing stuff until they have time in," I cleared my throat a little.

"I fully support that, but I feel that a couple with our particular past can skip a few things. We already dated once, for three years and went through all that…Take our time in a relationship to see boundaries and how things would go," Hiccup explained.

I nodded, understanding; he was right. "And we did sort of just pick up that intense friendship right away back in June when we saw one another again,"

"That's just how we are, though, Milady. We connected as best friends when we were in Kindergarten, and held it up until I developed a crush and asked you out. Even eight years apart and we didn't lost that connection as friends…Or lovers," Hiccup stated lightly.

"I know; it just comes…Naturally," I said.

"Exactly, so when it comes to all this…What most couples do stuff; I feel like we can bypass a lot of it," Hiccup admitted.

"And not have it feel totally awkward that it's been eight years," I laughed a little, leaning against his shoulder as he had his arm around me.

"I think the only awkward moments I've had were when our friends set us up on the blind date and we were sitting there trying to have it be normal, but couldn't because of the hanging tension about eight years ago," Hiccup said.

"And then nearly having sex after clearing the air?" I looked up at him.

"Yeah…That's the other one," Hiccup nodded with a light laugh. "I wouldn't even call it awkward, more like…Shocking how easily it came on. Like easier than us being face to face after so long. The instant burst of passion and need for one another. Well, that's how it felt for me. If we hadn't stopped kissing; I would have taken you, Ast. Dead serious…"

"I felt the same, Hiccup. But…It's good that we did since you got that call anyway and had to leave within the hour. I don't think it wouldn't have been great for us to just fuck and then talk, or rather; you'd have to rush off and us hold off the talk until you returned. So, like you'd said, always being the voice of reason," I giggled a bit. "We wouldn't have wanted us fixing things to go down that way,"

"Maybe I'm yours, but you're mine," Hiccup reminded.

"That's how we've always been," I stated gently. Gods, I'd missed nights like these. Just Hiccup and I alone, talking freely. I loved how open our communication was now, like before, except the one slip up with eight years ago. I was foolish to think Hiccup would have been upset with me, or not understood; I'd never make that mistake again. Hiccup and I both understood what we did wrong, but we suffered the time apart, we grew up and learned from our mistakes. Now, we were back together, and had nothing but our future ahead of us.

"And we always will be," Hiccup looked down at me. I leaned up and kissed him and he returned it. I'm sure we could have started making out, but Hiccup pulled back to yawn.

"Come on; let's get some sleep. Tomorrow is another long day," I informed.

"But hey, then we get a vacation all to ourselves, for a week," Hiccup said. I nodded; I couldn't wait for that. "You all packed?"

"Just a few more things to grab, last minute items. We'll have to stop at my house on our way home tomorrow so I can get the bag," I stated.

"I'm sure it can be arranged," Hiccup replied as we got up. Hiccup went to locked the door and then we headed to his room together. We both used the bathroom and got ready for bed; I ended up wearing one of Hiccup's army shirts, since they were a bit big and long, and then a pair of Hiccup's shorts. As I came out of the bathroom to see him in the bed already; he laughed a me a bit. "I think I'm gonna have to give you your own drawer or a space in the closet to keep some stuff here, in case we have more of these random sleepovers," he winked.

"Oh, hush…" I blushed and moved into the bed with him. Hiccup flipped off the light as we got comfortable. "I love you, Hiccup,"

"I love you too, Astrid. See you in the morning, babe," Hiccup held me close. I snuggled up, feeling entirely right as I closed my eyes.

"See you in the morning," I said as I yawned and soon drifted off to sleep.


	23. Chapter 23

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**23.**

_=Normal POV=  
[Friday, 9/23/2022-4:15 pm]  
[Isle of Berk; Hiccup's House]_

Astrid and Hiccup had a peaceful night in the new house together, even though they were just sleeping. Hiccup ended up knocking out first, and then Astrid right after within ten minutes. The night wasn't all easy. Unfortunately; Hiccup woke up around 1 am because someone was setting off fireworks, and it spooked him. And then at 4:30 am; Hiccup was abruptly awoken because of a pretty intense nightmare. Astrid was semi-awake for it, and she wasn't sure what to do except let him know that everything was okay and he was home safe and sound. Hiccup came out of it, then went to splash his face. Hiccup took some time to relax before he was able to lay back down and fall asleep again. Hiccup and Astrid both ended up sleeping in until about 9:45 am; they got up, showered, got dressed, had breakfast and then finally headed out around 11 am to get what was needed for the big house-warming party.

Hiccup and Astrid returned around 12:30 pm; they put everything away and had a quick snack for lunch before getting to work for the get together. Hiccup did all the cleaning while Astrid cooked, and then when Hiccup finished his stuff, he went to help Astrid out. Honestly; it was an amazing feeling for both of them to be working together in the one house. The two of them, since getting back into a relationship; practically lived together. Either Hiccup was at Astrid's, or she would go to Dagur and Mala's when Hiccup was living there. Now that Hiccup had his own place; Astrid was likely gonna go over there more often than Hiccup visiting her at her parents' place because the two of them would have privacy at Hiccup's. And lowkey, Astrid had loved what Hiccup said last night about getting her a drawer for some of her things at his place.

Hiccup had honestly meant it; he figured they'd be spending a lot of time together at his house now that it was set up. Astrid spending the night would have been nothing out of the blue for them, so why not keep some items there for those situations. At the same time, maybe it was pointless because Hiccup planned on proposing again really soon, so Astrid would be moving in entirely. As Hiccup envisioned; the whole plan was coming together as he'd prayed it would. Hiccup was actually purposely dropping hints regarding the subject of spending their time together in the house, seeing if Astrid would pick up on the fact Hiccup wanted her there with him and that he was doing this on purpose. Getting a house with three bedrooms, a stable environment to start their lives and family. Hiccup definitely wanted Astrid as his wife, and hoped they could have kids shortly after the wedding.

"Well, that's everything," Astrid smiled at Hiccup as they admired the work.

"Yeah, it is," Hiccup agreed with his hand around her waist. "Couldn't have done it without you, babe,"

"Aw, come on. You did most of this, Hiccup," Astrid replied.

"Nah. I just did the hard labor; you made all the choices," Hiccup said.

"Only on your request that I do, so it was still all you," Astrid stated. Hiccup pulled her against his chest in a swift movement as she laughed some.

"And I'm not me without you," Hiccup stared into her blue eyes. Astrid blushed a bit.

"As I am not me without you," Astrid responded gently. .

Hiccup leaned in and kissed her deeply; Astrid's arms came up and wrapped around his neck while the kiss continued. All too quickly, the two lovers began making out. Hiccup backed Astrid up against the back of the couch while they continued kissing feverishly. Hiccup's tongue slid past her lips and over her tongue; the two danced together in a deeper, more passionate kiss. Hiccup's hands were on her hips as their clothed bodies were pressed together. The passion between them only continued to grow over the next ten minutes. Astrid's hands played with the short buzzed hair on the back of Hiccup's head while his hands were roaming up and down her sides. Hiccup picked Astrid up, earning a slight squeal of shock and excitement from her, and he set her on the back of the couch where her legs wrapped around his midsection.

Hiccup's lips shifted from Astrid's lips to kiss along to her neck. Astrid gasped out, grabbed Hiccup's shoulders. "Ah…Hiccup…Mm," escaped her lips. "I want you…"

Hiccup stopped and looked at her softy. "I want you too, but we only got five minutes until everyone gets here…"

"B-But we could just tell them-," Astrid started.

"And as much as I could tell them to show up in an hour; I don't want us having to rush through doing this for the first time. Well, first time in a long time…I don't want to just fuck you, babe…I want to make love to you without a limit. Like we used to when we could have our fun and lay around for a bit, or all night. Know what I mean?" Hiccup asked.

"I do. Can we…Maybe do it while on vacation?" Astrid hoped.

"I think that's more of a definite than a maybe, Milady," Hiccup smiled. "My fault, I shouldn't have started the kissing; we both know what it does to us when we get too into it,"

"I'm just as guilty," Astrid blushed.

"Also, that's another reason we should wait instead of me telling everyone come later…I just realized I don't have any protection. Stopped carrying it around a long time ago now when I realized I was unable to get an erection with anyone but you," Hiccup muttered.

"At least I know you could never cheat on me," Astrid joked.

"Ha-ha, very funny. As if I would, but very well made point regardless," Hiccup laughed a little and Astrid did as well. "I guess no one can spark the fire except you,"

"I'll take pride in that," Astrid smiled as she got down off the couch, fixing her outfit a bit. Toothless suddenly barked which got Hiccup and Astrid to look out the window and seeing car pulling up to the house. Some in the driveway, others along the side of the road.

"Good thing we stopped when we did," Hiccup chuckled. "I'm sure them pulling up to see us on the verge of having sex would have a been pleasant welcome to our humble abode,"

"Seriously," Astrid giggled. Hiccup thought it was funny that she didn't make any comment about him saying it was their place. "Well, let's get this going then. Just think-," she started.

"Tomorrow morning; we're on vacation," Hiccup finished with a smile and nod to her. Hiccup offered his hand as Astrid took it and they headed for the entry door. The two took a deep breath before opening the door as everyone was parking their vehicles and stepping out, wondering if they were in the right place. "Hey, everyone!" Hiccup called from the front porch.

"We're glad you found it okay," Astrid added in with a wave.

"What are you doing here already sweetheart?" Asvora questioned.

"I spent the night with Hiccup; I've been helping him get everything set up here," Astrid smiled lightly.

"Your house is beautiful, Hiccup!" Valka beamed.

"Thanks, Mom," Hiccup replied. "Well, let's all get inside. I'll give ya a tour," he mentioned. Hiccup had invited everyone important to him to this event; it was sort of a big deal. And originally; he was going to use it to propose to Astrid, but decided to hold off and wait until they were camping. Astrid was getting something tonight, but not a ring; not yet. First in were Stoick, Valka, and Gobber. After them it was Calder and Asvora. Next was the Jorgenson Family of Spitelout, Freda, Adelaide, and Snotlout. Minden entered with Snotlout. Dagur, Mala, Magne, and Dagny followed behind the Jorgenson's. Next in was Tuffnut and Ruffnut; then Heather and Fishlegs. Thuggory, Camicazi, and Eret were last.

"Damn, Hiccup…I'm jealous. I think yours is nicer than mine," Dagur stated, nodding is head while looking around the general space they were in.

"I doubt that, but hey; you're welcome to admire all you want," Hiccup smiled. "If you have coats, I'll take them," he offered. Astrid and Hiccup took any coats and set them in the hall closet off to the left behind the entry door. Hiccup returned after getting all the coats hung nicely and smiled while bringing his hands together. "So, who wants the tour?" All of their hands shot up with excitement.

"I'll go make sure the appetizers and food is ready to be served, babe," Astrid kissed his cheek, heading off into the kitchen.

"How I got so lucky to have that woman in my life; I'll never understand," Hiccup shook his head a bit, still smiling. "Anyway," he redirected his attention to the guests. "Welcome to the main space. Living room, complete with fireplace and picture window. Just across the way is the kitchen and dining area where my lovely girlfriend is," he stated as Astrid blushed a little, tucking some hair behind her right ear. "Down this hallway," Hiccup guided them towards the hallway off to the right of them next to the fireplace. "The right door is designated laundry. Your left holds the stairs to the basement, and the door at the end of the hall is to the two-car garage,"

Everyone took a turn in small groups to peer down and look inside before returning to the living room. "And down this hall is everything else inside the home. The first door on the right is the main space bathroom, a full one. The door just beside it is the utility closet; I mainly use it for coats, and some storage. These two doors on the left are two of the bedrooms, the last one is currently converted into a home office. And this door over here is to the master bedroom," Hiccup opened it and led them all inside. "And this door right here is to the master bathroom," he added.

"It's lovely," Asvora smiled gently.

"I have to say the military takes good care of its personnel," Eret nodded.

"Not to be that guy here, but…Son, why did you need all this? I mean…It's just you and Toothless," Stoick mentioned.

"Seems like you're paying for a whole lot of extra you don't need," Calder chimed in. "This is more for a family, not a single man,"

"I have my reasons," Hiccup stated calmly. "And I'm not single; I'm dating your beautiful daughter,"

"You know what we meant," Stoick sighed. "A married man with a wife and kids,"

"I take it you aren't going to share those with us?" Gobber arched a brow.

"Let's leave it at having full security for my life," Hiccup smiled casually with his hands in his pockets.

"You _bought_ this house?" Dagur asked.

"Gods no," Hiccup laughed. "But it will be mine in fourteen years,"

"Beg your pardon," Valka blinked.

"This is a rent to own house. I pay the rent until the buy price is paid off," Hiccup informed. "Was sure I explained this once already," he added.

"And…How much is this house that it's yours in fourteen years?" Thuggory inquired.

"$269,000. I pay $1,600 a month for the next fourteen years and then it's mine," Hiccup replied. "And that price a month includes all utilities. A company employed by the military takes care of all maintenance and lawn care. I just have to keep it clean, put food in it, and pay my personal expenses such as car insurance, cell phone, internet, and cable. Was a pretty nice deal if you ask me,"

"I'll say. Geeze," Eret chuckled.

"It's wonderful, son," Valka hugged him. "You're basically set for the rest of your life,"

"That was the idea behind it," Hiccup nodded. "Besides, you know me, Mom," Hiccup led them back into the main area as he looked Astrid's way with a soft smile. "I like to be ahead of the game for whatever life throws my way," the others noticed he was looking at Astrid. "It won't be me and Toothless forever," he added. "And when that changes; I've got the room for more without the need to look for a new place to live to accommodate,"

"I'm confused…Was that your way of saying that you're ready for the day you get married and have kids, or telling us that Astrid is gonna move in because she's pregnant?" Snotlout questioned.

"What?!" Astrid whipped around with wide eyes. Hiccup was always staring at his cousin with widened, shocked eyes at the question asked. "Ow! Son of a-," Astrid got so distracted by the question Snotlout asked that she forgot to put the knife down and slit her hand with it. Of course, she only stopped her sentence because of Dagny and Magne in the room.

"Babe, you alright?" Hiccup instantly moved beside Astrid.

"Yeah, just cut my hand…" Astrid hissed.

"Let me see," Hiccup held her hand as she moved the dishtowel. Hiccup inspected the wound; it wasn't too bad. "Doesn't appear you need stitches, always a good sign," he informed as he went under the sink and opened the green metal box that had a big red on it signaling it was a first-aid kit. Hiccup grabbed a few things out of it and brought them on the counter to take care of Astrid's hand.

"Wouldn't have slipped if Snotlout hadn't pulled my attention away with his ridiculous question," Astrid muttered while Hiccup applied anti-bacterial cream; then some gauze, and finally, wrapping the injury and securing it in place. "Medical training?"

"Standard wound care is required to be taught in basic training," Thuggory informed.

"Well, Hiccup took his medical training farther than the rest of us because he was bored, so he can do bigger injuries and stitches if necessary," Eret said.

"I'd like to think that _further_ medical training paid off when emergency care was needed while we were stranded and one of you, pretty sure it was Dagur, needed it," Hiccup remarked. "And seriously…What the hell, Snotlout? Why would you ask that?" Hiccup inquired.

"Seemed like you did all this house stuff to prepare for a future coming soon is all. I mean…You two have only been together for three months and constantly spending the night at each other's places…" Snotlout shrugged.

"If this were a brand new relationship, we likely wouldn't be…But Astrid and I just kind'a picked up where we left off eight years ago," Hiccup said.

"We both agreed on that," Astrid added.

"So…It's highly likely to say that you two have already gone back to having sex and it's possible she is pregnant?" Tuffnut asked as Adelaide and Ruffnut smacked him in the arm, one on each side. "Ow!"

"No, I'm not!" Astrid screeched.

"Easy, Milady…" Hiccup held her unhurt hand as she took a deep breath before Hiccup looked at everyone else. "For your information, not that it's any of anyone's business but ours…" Hiccup mumbled. "Astrid and I haven't had sex since getting back together three months ago,"

"Alright, alright…Let's everyone calm down," Asvora stated.

"Yes, I agree," Valka nodded. "This is Hiccup's house, and we're merely guests no matter who we are to him or Astrid,"

"So let's be mindful and respectful," Asvora finished.

"Sorry," the group, or at least those guilty of believing Astrid was pregnant, said.

"it's fine…" Hiccup replied. "Let's just enjoy the party. Babe, I'll take over the rest of preparing stuff, go on and relax. You earned the break after all the help you gave me the past two weeks," he smiled to her.

"Okay," Astrid nodded as they shared a kiss and she moved into the living room with the others.

"Have a seat, please," Hiccup told them as he cleaned off the knife and got a new one to continue the work Astrid was doing before she got hurt. Hiccup couldn't believe that some of them believed he did all this because Astrid was pregnant; the two of them hadn't even had sex. Though, Hiccup and Astrid have gotten real close to doing it twice in the past three months. Once when they got back together, rather the night it was discussed to date again, and then again tonight before everyone arrived. And it had been decided that they would probably doing it while on vacation, which thankfully, started tomorrow.

Everyone sat down as Hiccup finished things and brought in the snack trays. "There are drinks in the fridge. Soda, water, juice, even beer," Astrid mentioned.

"Thanks, babe. Forgot that," Hiccup said.

"Always got your back, babe," Astrid winked.

"And I yours," Hiccup replied lightly as he sat down beside her. "I didn't really make a dinner, but there are some bigger foods than crackers and stuff in the dining room on the table," he added.

"This is fine for now, son," Stoick chuckled. Hiccup nodded, relaxing finally. Honestly, he and Astrid couldn't wait for tomorrow now after the past two weeks. Vacation would be good for them. Hiccup and Astrid were both packed up, and ready to go. Even Stormfly was already at the house, sharing Toothless's large-size bed; the two were curled up together on it in front of the fireplace. Hiccup didn't get it going because it was still kind of warm outside and the extra heat wasn't necessary. Hiccup and Astrid discussed telling everyone about their vacation tonight, just so they wouldn't worry when the two weren't on Berk for a week.

The plan was to catch a seaplane morning flight from the Berk Transportation Center to Dragon's Edge; it was an hour and a half flight. Thankfully, this was a flight that ran every day, mostly all day and it was inexpensive. Taking the ferry would be a couple hours, as would driving. Flying seemed to be the best option. Once they arrived on the island; the two would be taking a Campground Shuttle to the campground from the Dragon's Edge Transportation Docks. Hiccup loved that Astrid had no idea he booked them a lakeside RV site; it was his little surprise for her because he knew she wasn't overly fond of sleeping in a tent. The only thing Hiccup had to do was put food in the RV for the week they'd be there; simple enough. Everything they would need was provided or included in the price he paid for this. And Hiccup didn't mind spending the money because it was well worth it for what he had planned while they were away. Hiccup couldn't wait, and neither could Astrid.


	24. Chapter 24

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**24.**

_=Normal POV=  
[Friday, 9/23/2022-7:30 pm]  
[Isle of Berk; Hiccup's House]_

So far, the party had been going great except for the little mishap where Astrid cut her hand because of Snotlout's comment regarding that she could be pregnant and that's why Hiccup went with getting a three bedroom, two bathroom home. However, Hiccup did drop some serious hints that it wouldn't be him and Toothless living there alone forever, and when that situation changed; he was ready to accommodate more people. But Hiccup and Astrid both assured that Astrid was not pregnant, and added in that the two of them had not even had sex. Everything was cooled down now and everyone was having a good time sitting around Hiccup's house; they were all enjoying the food and drinks while talking about whatever came up as the topic. Hiccup had music going in the background, and a slideshow running from his laptop on the big screen TV showing pictures of completely random moments over the course of Hiccup's life; at least from the time he was a teenager to current.

"I can't get over that you still have all these," Astrid giggled, looking at some of the pictures.

"Why did you think I'd get rid of them?" Hiccup looked at her.

"Because we broke up after graduation; figured you would have deleted everything about you and me," Astrid shrugged.

"No, I just moved everything into a folder and labeled it; _Hiccup & Astrid_. Broken up or not; I still had a lot of memories growing up with you as my friend that I wouldn't dare get rid of," Hiccup chuckled.

"You were such a dork until high school," Astrid said.

"Well, you hung out with you me and allowed it, so that makes you an enabler," Hiccup responded.

"You were so cute, how could I stop it?" Astrid remarked.

"Oh, I was cute then, but not now?" Hiccup asked.

"Nope, definitely not cute anymore. Now you're just straight hot as hell," Astrid smiled.

"Aw, Astrid," Hiccup jokingly got bashful.

"Uncle Hiccup," Dagny asked.

"Yes, Princess?" Hiccup replied.

"Can we watch how you met Toothless? You said we could a couple weeks ago," Magne stated.

"I did say that, didn't I?" Hiccup smiled as he moved to the computer and started searching files. "It's not the full experience, but my dear team decided to capture the moments they deemed _funny_," he added. Hiccup located a video labeled; _Becoming A Dog Handler_. Hiccup clicked on it as the video loaded and he grabbed the remote to turn it up, then pause the music. The video started with Hiccup entering the canine training area main office.

"_Can I help you, soldier?" the man behind the desk inquired, looking up slightly from his folder on the desk._

"_I'm Specialist Hiccup Haddock; I was sent over by Captain Bludvist of Alpha Company to get a dog," Hiccup replied. "Sir," he quickly added._

"_Ah, yes. The Dog Whisperer I've heard so much about," the man stated._

"_Not…The title I would have chosen for myself, but okay…So what now?" Hiccup asked. The man stood up, offering his hand to Hiccup._

"_I'm Master Sergeant Eirik Matheson," Eirik introduced as Hiccup shook his hand. "I'm in charge of this training facility here on Caldera Cay,"_

"_Pleasure to meet you, Master Sergeant," Hiccup replied._

"_Well, let's get you introduced to your dog, Specialist Haddock," Eirik stood up. Hiccup nodded and followed him out. _

Most of the next part of the video was walking towards the kennels, and Hiccup being told the rules of having a dog. Hiccup, obviously, listened intently as they reached the destination and entered. Inside the kennels was a lot of dogs on either of the room laying in their cages and being well-behaved. Passing one of the cages, a large black husky came out of the shadows, barking loudly. Everyone could only assume that this was Toothless.

"_Woah,"_ _Hiccup backed up a bit._

"_Don't mind him," Eirik said._

"_Is that even a dog? Looks like a wolf to me," Hiccup replied._

"_Half husky, half wolf. A hybrid; we've had him for two years; rescued from a black market exotic animals pet adoption," Eirik explained as the dog was staring intently, growling. "We've been trying to rehabilitate him, but he's ridiculously aggressive, even for our senior trainers,"_

"_Why keep him if he can't be trained? Having an aggressive dog is bad enough, but having a hybrid is worse if this animal ever decided to attack someone because is resorted to it's primal instincts," Hiccup informed._

"_You know your animals, kid. I'll give you that," Eirik nodded. "Aggressive, yes. But trainable. He's let out with the other dogs in the field, usually keeps to himself in a shaded corner. But…One day; he made his way into the training area where other dogs were being worked with. This dog was the only one to run the course solo, finding all the hidden dummy grenades, IED's, etc. He even jumped in a typical soldier drill and protected the team from an ambush. All he did was give an alert-style bark. He's got potential if we could get past the aggression, but the last person who tried to work with him…Well, the dog has the bite force to break a human's arm bones. That happened five months ago, and he hasn't been out of the cage since. Everyone is just…Too afraid to work with him," Eirik explained._

_Hiccup sort of stared at the dog a few moments. "Seems lonely," he mentioned._

"_Yeah, well anyone who gets too close, as you saw; gets barked and glared at. For now, we're just leaving him be and feeding regularly," Eirik mentioned. Hiccup inched closer to the cage as Toothless growled more. "Don't push it, Specialist," Eirik warned. Toothless growled lowly and then finally barked several times, snapping for Hiccup. "Hiccup, I know you have a gift with dogs, but I told you, even senior trainers who have been doing this job ten to fifteen years haven't been able to work with him. Come now, the dog you're working with is right over here," Eirik ordered._

_Hiccup took a long glance at Toothless before giving in and following the command._

The video shifted to later on outside as Hiccup was working with a German Shepard on the course. Hiccup did surprisingly well and was with a group of other people working with their dogs.

"_THE WOLF IS LOOSE!" someone shouted. Hiccup sort of stood there while everyone was actually running to take cover as Toothless came barreling through the area. The dog Hiccup worked with bolted away._

"_Haddock, get clear," Eirik demanded, running forward. Hiccup finally snapped out of it as he went to run, but Toothless knocked him to the side as a smoke bomb went off where Hiccup would have stepped. Hiccup crawled out of the smoke coughing as Thuggory got next to him._

"_Odin above…Hiccup, are you alright?" Eret inquired._

"_Yeah…yeah, I'm fine," Hiccup caught his breath and got some help from Thuggory to stand. Toothless came out of the smoke slowly._

"_Restrain that animal," Eirik ordered. "He purposely dragged Haddock into danger," _

"_What?" Hiccup said. "No…No, that's not what happened!" he informed quickly._

"_Specialist Haddock, this dog knocked you into a smoke bomb!" Eirik remarked._

"_No, he didn't!" Hiccup yelled back. _

"_It went off as soon as he grabbed you. This is the last straw; he's more of a danger than an asset," Eirik stated._

"_Master Sergeant, listen to me!" Hiccup tried as a group of soldiers restrained Toothless, muzzling him._

"_No. Enough is enough…We have to put him-," Eirik began._

"_You most certainly will not put that dog down!" Hiccup argued._

"_Haddock, that's enough," Drago ordered. "You don't make the call,"_

"_Sorry, Captain…But I can't stand by and do nothing when they're gonna put down an innocent animal," Hiccup said sternly. The area went quiet. Hiccup had refused a direct order from his captain._

"_He's hurt too many people; we can't work with him. And he's too dangerous to just be let free," Eirik informed._

"_For Odin's sake; he didn't hurt me!" Hiccup glared. "That dog didn't shove me into a dangerous area…He knocked me away from it when I ran into it…He pushed me away from the bomb, and then let me hold his collar to guide me out of the smoke. This dog saved my life, or rather, would be life had we been deployed and that was a mine field…"_

"_He…Saved you?" Eirik arched a brow._

"_You questioning what I told you? Yes, he did, so I'm not gonna let you put him down when he's innocent," Hiccup informed calmly. "Release him,"_

"_You don't make that decision," Eirik glared._

"_You're hurting him! He's whining. Release the dog," I said again. The soldiers let Toothless go as he shook free and growled._

"_Well…He's helped us before," one soldier said._

"_But he still can't be worked with. We've been trying for two years, and one or two good deeds does not change the fact he's aggressive and injured several people," Eirik responded. Hiccup got closer, trying to remove the muzzle. "Leave it alone, Haddock,"_

"_Just give me a fucking chance, would you?!" Hiccup snapped. Hiccup turned his attention back to Toothless. "Here…Let's get this off of you," he reached for the muzzle as Toothless growled and tried to bite him, but couldn't. Hiccup stayed firm, facing Toothless. Others had backed up in fear, but Hiccup held his ground, narrowing his eyes a bit. "I think I got this dog figured out," he said, keeping his eyes on Toothless. "You think I'm afraid of you?" Toothless snarled more. "Well, I'm not, so cut the tough dog act," he remarked. "Sit down," Toothless didn't respond. "Sit. Down." he ordered again. This time, Toothless ended up sitting down. "Now…Lay," Hiccup told him. Toothless glared almost. "I said lay down," Toothless eased himself down and laid there. Hiccup crouched a bit and worked the muzzle off. "There…Now, isn't that better?" Toothless got up, intently staring at Hiccup._

"_I know you came from a bad place, bud…But I'd never hurt you, and I don't think you want to hurt me," Hiccup said calmly. "I feel like you're not that bad if you saved me, and maybe the reason you're regarded as mean is because everyone is too firm with making you listen, but showing fear, so you don't trust them. I'm not scared of you. I trust you. Now, will you trust me?" Hiccup closed his eyes and turned his head away. Toothless eyed him, then sniffed his palm before closing his eyes and pressing against Hiccup's open hand._

"_Well…I'll be damned," Dagur chuckled._

_Hiccup opened his eyes and smiled, starting to pet the top of Toothless's head, and around his ears. Toothless sat down, panting and wagging his tail contently before moving in to lick Hiccup's face. "Ugh…Ew, but I love you too," Hiccup tried to wipe the saliva off. "Master Sergeant Matheson…As good as the other dog you picked for me is…I think I'd like to take him instead, if that's alright,"_

"_I mean…The dog sort'a picked Haddock anyway…And seems to only listen to him," Drago shrugged._

"_I suppose…It is the most progress we've ever seen out of him…We'll test things and see how it goes," Eirik informed. "For now, Specialist Haddock, you are assigned to this dog-,"_

"_Toothless," Hiccup said._

"_Excuse me?" Eirik blinked._

"_Toothless. His name is Toothless," Hiccup corrected. "If he's going to be mine; he will have a name. He's not dog, hybrid, or wolf…His name is Toothless," _

"_Very well," Eirik nodded. Hiccup only smiled and Toothless rubbed his face to Hiccup's affectionately._

The video ended there as Hiccup closed it down and restarted the slideshow. Ironically; the first picture to come up was one of Hiccup in full gear overseas with a smile, sunglasses on, and on one knee with Toothless beside him.

"Seems he connected with you because you did what no one else would do," Valka said.

"I showed him I wasn't scared like everyone else was. I understood Toothless suffered a bad past before being recruited into the military's dog program; a handler has to trust their dog as much as a dog needs to trust their handler. You can't give trust when you're scared because it means there is no trust. Toothless has incredible protective instincts and detection senses for bombs, gunshot far away we can't hear, sensing or smelling others close by that we don't see…Toothless is an elite military dog, he's Special Ops too, like me," Hiccup said. "I just don't think anyone was able to see past the aggression; he was feared, so no one wanted to be around him. Even other dogs ran away. I didn't have that problem, so he chose me as his handler because I did what no one else would. I showed him I wasn't scared, and trusted him,"

"I remember you telling me that you ended up adopting him as yours, why was that a process?" Astrid inquired.

"During the second tour; I got hurt pretty badly and had to leave the base overseas for two months to heal," Hiccup said.

"Is this when you were shot in the left leg?" Eret wondered.

"Yeah, that was the one. It should have ended my military career, but I healed so well and was able to pass all the physicals to remain active duty. Anyway…Toothless…Unfortunately, had to stay in Afghanistan while I was away. The tour ended while I was recovering; I wasn't allowed at the military base until I was considered fully recovered. Toothless…Got reassigned to another handler while I was out. As there was speculation on if I was getting a medical discharge; I fought to keep Toothless with me. He wasn't supposed to be adopted as a normal pet; Dogs returning from war can suffer PTSD as any human soldier can. There was fear he'd react and attack someone to protect me, or just lose it entirely. I had to go through a lot of outside the military channels to get him back. It took a couple months, but I finally got him,"

"And Toothless stays active as long as Hiccup does," Dagur nodded.

"Unless something were to happen to him, or he just gets too old to continue his duties," Thuggory added.

"But he'll always be mine, even if he retires before I do. And that's all I cared about," Hiccup reminded. Toothless got up, moving to Hiccup and setting his head in Hiccup's lap. "Besides…He doesn't listen to anyone but me, so pointless for him to have been with anyone else,"

"Yeah…Getting him to follow orders while you were recovering proved difficult," Eret muttered. Toothless growled at him. "Easy, Almighty Toothless,"

Hiccup laughed. "Oh, he's nothing but a big softy, huh? Isn't that right? What would we do without our Alpha Wolf?" Hiccup said, coddling his dog as if it were his child almost. Astrid thought it was adorable, but mainly because Toothless responded to it by panting and wagging his tail at the praise. "Missions were so much easier with him on the team,"

"Can't dispute that," the three males nodded.

"Astrid, did you really help Hiccup with all this house stuff?" Ruffnut inquired calmly.

"Yeah, I did," Astrid nodded to her.

"How come she got to help and not us?" Tuffnut laughed. "We offered to do it all,"

"One, I would have had to pay you-," Hiccup started.

"Didn't you have to pay for all this anyway?" Fishlegs inquired.

"Two," Hiccup said, then paused. "Astrid knows my style a little more than you guys do," Hiccup chuckled. "And three, it takes the fun out of showing it off if you got to see it through the makeover phase," he added.

"So you and Astrid together did all this alone?" Adelaide smiled.

"Well, we had some help when the moving truck came with the rest of my stuff. Few extra hands to move bigger pieces into place, but after that; yes," Astrid nodded. "But Hiccup did most of it,"

"I told you earlier that it was a joint effort," Hiccup sighed.

"But Hiccup, I got sick for a couple days, and worked the week after. You did all this; I just picked a few things at your request and cleaned a bit," Astrid said.

"So; it was still together that we did it. You helped me clean rooms as we did them, you helped me pick just about everything. Living room and dining sets, the outside patio stuff, the dishes and cups, the pots and pans, the décor…You helped me paint. You did a lot more than just _pick a few things_. And the biggest part is that you were just with me; I've genuinely enjoyed the last two weeks of all this work because I got to do it with you," Hiccup held her hand. "I'm honestly happy that I can wander this place and know my girlfriend helped me design it all from start to finish,"

Astrid blushed intently. "W-Well you're welcome then," she said. Hiccup kissed her lightly.

"So, what are ya gonna do this next week, son? You mentioned being on vacation until the second, right?" Stoick inquired.

"Uh…Actually, Astrid and I decided last minute to go camping for my last week of vacation," Hiccup stated calmly.

The room was quiet, all of them staring at Hiccup and Astrid. "Camping?" Calder asked.

"Yeah, we're going to Dragon's Edge from…Tomorrow to the 2nd of October," Astrid interjected. "It was Hiccup's idea while we were working on the house,"

"We're leaving tomorrow at 10 from Berk Transport Center, taking a schedule seaplane flight at 11 am and should be on Dragon's Edge and checked into the campground by 1 pm; I would think," Hiccup informed. "We thought it'd be nice to just take some time off together with the dogs," he added.

"So you two are just…Going camping for eight days, by yourselves with Toothless and Stormfly?" Heather arched a brow.

"Well, I mean; we're gonna enjoy the activities at the campground, and I think we're taking a few days at the theme park too," Astrid nodded.

"That's right, babe," Hiccup replied to confirm what Astrid said.

"Dude, you should have told us; we could have all gone," Snotlout mentioned.

"I said it was a last minute idea that we chose to do like…Two days ago," Hiccup responded. "And when discussing things; we didn't think everyone would be able to get the kind of time off on such short notice," he shrugged. "And we sort of intended it to be just us; use the time to…Really reconnect after eight years, talk more without work or daily lives getting in the way,"

"But it's cool. You guys are all welcome to come visit us on Friday or Saturday night; we can do a big cookout or something. Just bring your own chairs," Astrid laughed a bit.

"I guess that sounds alright," Gobber chuckled.

"Let us know if you need us to bring anything," Asvora smiled. "And do have a good time,"

"We will. It's been so long, so it's gonna be a blast," Hiccup smiled. Astrid laid her head on Hiccup's shoulder, yawning a bit. "Someone's getting tired," he teased.

"Shut up," Astrid mumbled.

"We should get going anyway; it's late and you two have your trip tomorrow," Valka informed.

"And this has definitely been fun," Mala stood up, catching the hint Valka was going for. Mainly that it was getting late and now that it had been revealed Hiccup and Astrid were going on what appeared to be a private vacation; they should be leaving to give the two time to wind down and get some sleep their trip.

Dagur rounded up Magne and Dagny to leave as Heather said goodbye to Hiccup and Astrid, then Fishlegs. Dagur and Mala said their goodbye with the kids and left first. The Jorgensons and Minden were next; then Eret, Camicazi, Thuggory, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut. Astrid's parents followed suit, and then of course, Hiccup's parents and Gobber. When everyone had left, Hiccup locked the door. It took the next forty-five minutes, but Hiccup and Astrid cleaned up the house and then used the bathroom and got ready for bed. The two of them made sure their suitcases and other small items for the camping trip were set by the main door to grab on their way out tomorrow. Hiccup and Astrid climbed into bed together and snuggled up, around this time tomorrow morning; they'd be on their way to Dragon's Edge for a much needed and wanted vacation together.


	25. Chapter 25

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**25.**

_=Normal POV=  
[Saturday, 9/24/2022-1:30 pm]  
[Dragon's Edge; The Drake's Lair]_

As planned; the alarm went off at 7:30 am to give Hiccup and Astrid both time to shower, get dressed, have a quick breakfast, pack a portable lunch, make sure they had everything for the trip, and then get out the door for 10:15 am when the airport shuttle showed up to get them. After a fifteen minute drive; they arrived and immediately got checked for their flight on time. Not more than ten minutes later; Hiccup and Astrid boarded with their dogs and backpacks since suitcases went underneath and could be picked up plane-side upon landed on Dragon's Edge. At 11:05 am, the plane left Berk. An hour and a half later at 12:40 pm; it landed on Dragon's Edge. By 12:50; the two lovers were off with their suitcases and dogs to catch the shuttle bus heading for the campground. Arriving there; Hiccup had Astrid wait outside with the dogs, since they weren't allowed inside the camp store. Hiccup took care of getting them checked in there with the keys to the camper. Hiccup also rented a golf cart to help them get around since they didn't bring their cars, which could have come on the ferry, but it would have taken way longer.

"All set, babe?" Astrid inquired as Hiccup came out of the store.

"Yep; I rented us a golf cart for the week too. I honestly forgot how big this place and walking with all the groceries will suck," Hiccup chuckled.

"Ah, smart thinking, Hiccup," Astrid said as Hiccup brought her to where the golf carts were and they got the one Hiccup was assigned; #102.

"Toothless, Stormfly; hop in the back," Hiccup told the dogs, who obeyed and jumped into the seats that were in back. Astrid climbed in, and then Hiccup did the same in the driver's seat after making sure the bags were loaded up. Hiccup started the cart up and took them to their site for the next seven days. Pulling up, Astrid laid eyes on the black and gray RV. Hiccup parked in the makeshift canopy-style garage and turned the cart off.

"Hiccup, what's this?" Astrid asked. "I thought we were getting a cabin?"

"Surprise," Hiccup stated. "I know you don't like tents, and we've stayed in cabins before; they don't have kitchens or bathrooms. It's just one bed, then a set of bunkbeds, and a small sink and counter space. I figured this might be a better alternative; it has everything inside, plus the outdoor space," Hiccup informed.

"Hiccup…These things are expensive to rent…" Astrid mumbled.

"Wasn't bad actually, about $1200 for the week. That includes the utilities too, all we gotta do is put food in it and wood for the fire pit outside," Hiccup chuckled. "I figured that since we're on vacation; we should probably take a break from all the extra work in maintaining a cabin or tent. Plus…There's a two beds for the dogs, and a king-sized bed for us…" Hiccup said gently. Astrid blushed a bit. "Can ya blame a guy for wanting to be a little romantic?"

"No," Astrid smiled. "I suppose not, and it is a very nice surprise," she giggled some. "Thank you," she kissed his cheek.

"You're welcome. Come on, let's go get settled in and then we can go shopping," Hiccup suggested. Astrid nodded as they got out of the cart and moved to the RV; Hiccup had the bags, so Astrid fished the keys from his pocket and did the honors of opening up the door up. Astrid went in and instantly admired everything as Hiccup got inside, setting the two suitcases on the top bunk of the beds to their immediate left.

"Oh, it's beautiful," Astrid breathed out as Hiccup locked his arm around her waist. The layout of the camper from where they stood was the bunkbeds to the left; then the bathroom. To the right was the TV and kitchen; then across from that was the couch and dining spot. Directly down at the other end of the RV was the king-sized bed.

"There's also another door on the side with the bed, if we don't feel like coming in here and walking all the way across," Hiccup informed lightly.

"Oh, because it's so far," Astrid teased. "Let's get unpacked. Is there storage in the bedroom?"

"Some. I think overhead and two small nightstands/cabinets; one on either side. I was thinking we could leave our bags here on the top bunk as it's closest to the bathroom," Hiccup offered.

"Sounds like a good idea. And the dogs will be on the bottom bunk?" Astrid asked.

"I assumed so," Hiccup said.

After that, the two of them started unpacking the essential things they'd use every day, and even laid out their clothes in neat piles on the top bunk, so they wouldn't have to sift through their suitcases every day. Astrid put towels from the house for showering in the bathroom cabinet, and they set their pool towels on the top bunk with their bathing suits. When all of that was taken care of; the two handled outside with setting up the outer kitchenette-style area; it had a stove top, mini sink, mini fridge, and stackable storage utensils or spices. Hiccup and Astrid got the awning out together, set up the two dogs' food and water dishes in a space where it would stay dry and safe from wild animals, and then they took care of their chairs in front of the fire spit. There was, of course, a picnic table too. Hiccup and Astrid worked together to put up the portable canopy over the picnic table, and then they were finished. By the time they were finished it was about 2:30 pm.

"Alright, time to shop?" Astrid questioned.

"Let's give it a few minutes," Hiccup laughed a little as they sat down in their joint camping chair, holding hands. "I'm really glad we're able to do this, Ast,"

"Me too. It's nice to be around everyone, but I like the personal time we get to have that doesn't involve the usual," Astrid said.

"Yeah, that's how I feel too, but just in general being away from responsibilities, you know? For me, up until we got back together; it's just…Work. Work, work, sometimes seeing friends, and more work. Or deployments, or new stationing orders. It's like it never stops, and I mean…I knew what I was getting into when I joined the army. I guess maybe I feel like I should have been taking more advantage of all the vacation time I get," Hiccup sighed.

"Hey, it's alright, babe," Astrid comforted. "I know things have been a bit hard for you since getting off the third tour, and then all this craziness with us getting back together, work, the memorial…I know you've been struggling to settle back into civilian life and just have a moment to relax. That's why we did this, right? Spend time together away from the normal, relax?"

"Yeah," Hiccup nodded. "Sorry if…My random awakenings in the night bother you," he mumbled.

"I know it's nightmares, Hiccup. And they don't bother me; I'm glad I wake up because it means I can try to help you," Astrid smiled.

"I'll never understand how I got so lucky to have you in my life," Hiccup stated. "I love you, Astrid,"

"I love you too, Hiccup," Astrid replied as they leaned in and shared a kiss.

**. . .**

_[9:45 pm]  
[Dragon's Edge; Drake's Lair-Site #615]_

Hiccup and Astrid decided that since it was only day one of their vacation; there was no need to rush on anything they took part in. Around 3 pm; the two went shopping to the mini-market that was inside the campground to get the things they would need for meals, essentials, and drinks. Hiccup and Astrid got all that back to their site and put away by 4:15 pm. Of course, alcoholic beverages had to be purchased outside of the campground, so they took a five or so minute walk to the liquor store up the street a bit, so that took them until 4:45 pm. Returning to the campground; they put the alcohol away and decided to make a plan for what they would do entertainment wise while on vacation. This was mainly planning if they would stay in the campground or go to the amusement park on the days they were here. It had already been decided they would hold the hangout get together with family and friends on Saturday night, the 1st of October.

Hiccup sent that message out once the choice was made, and set it for 11 am. It would give the group time to travel out to Dragon's Edge, get signed in as visitors, then get to the site for lunch. Hiccup and Astrid only assumed the pack of them would stay until 8:30 pm or so because the last seaplane flight went out at 9 pm, and that would be their ticket back to Berk for the evening. Tonight though, Hiccup and Astrid made all those plans over cooking dinner together; it was steak, corn on the cob, and mashed potatoes. After cooking, and while eating; they just talked and laughed. Hiccup and Astrid cleaned up from dinner and decided to just sit in front of the fire with the dogs at their feet.

Both Hiccup and Astrid were holding hands, smiling, and enjoying the peacefulness of the late-September night. It was perfect too because they had a stunning view of the lake just beyond the fire ring. Around them were birds, frogs, crickets, even other campers having a nice time. "This is perfect," Astrid sighed softly.

"Tell me about it," Hiccup replied. "And just think…We got seven six more nights of this," he added as Astrid nodded to him with a smile.

"I'm really glad we did this," Astrid mentioned.

"Me too. I told you it would be good for us to just get away," Hiccup reminded.

"I'll never doubt you again," Astrid replied.

"Never should have doubted me in the first place," Hiccup winked as Astrid giggled a little.

"I suppose I can't argue that logic…" Astrid nodded. "You've never steered me wrong, and things always worked out for us in one way or another," Astrid said, glancing back to the fire. "Hey, Hiccup?"

"Yeah?" Hiccup looked at her.

"If…Things hadn't gone the way they did eight years ago…Where do you think we'd be right now?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup took a breath, relaxing in the chair more. "Hard call to make, but if I had to take a guess…We'd probably both be working full time jobs, married, have a house…Maybe a kid?" he shrugged.

"Sounds nice…And correct if I hadn't messed up," Astrid sighed.

"Ast…Don't blame yourself for what happened. Alright? We both messed up that night. You panicked and ran away, yes, but I left too. I could have stayed, talked to you through the door, or something…Anything. Just as you said you could have chased me, or made contact at any time in the two weeks before I left. There's…Enough blame to go around on both sides for what happened…And then life kept us apart. You had school, I had the military; we just…Never crossed paths until this past June," Hiccup turned and held her hand with both of his now. "As far as I'm concerned…" he looked at her seriously. "No matter the time or distance, Astrid; our love has remained strong and true for one another. So maybe it took a bit, but we ended up back together like it should have been. And as it always has; things will continue to work out for us,"

"That is probably one of the most romantic things I've ever heard you say, Hiccup Haddock," Astrid said, smiling softly.

"Well, don't ever forget it because I mean every world. I love you, Astrid Hofferson. With everything I am. And I always will," Hiccup leaned in more.

Astrid could have cried; it might not have been her style, but she definitely could have. "I love you too, Hiccup Haddock. Always and forever," Astrid replied. The two leaned in and met in the middle for a kiss. Afterward, both of them were smiling and blushing. "It's about 10 pm…How about we shut this down and move into the camper?" she suggested with a yawn. However, Hiccup knew Astrid better than she thought he did; this was a very easy hint to pick up that she wanted him, alone, in the bedroom. Hiccup didn't care; he made sure to pick up condoms at the convenience store earlier when they went out to get alcohol. Hiccup had told Astrid to pick what she wanted and he'd be right back to use the bathroom since the liquor store didn't have a public one. Hiccup picked up a decent-sized pack and put them in his backpack, which they brought along to bring back the alcohol to the campground.

"You head in with the dogs; I'll take care of out here," Hiccup nodded. Astrid smiled as she gave a light whistle; Stormfly and Toothless got up and headed into the RV with Astrid while Hiccup put out the fire carefully and made sure to grab whatever they didn't want to leave out overnight. Getting inside the camper, Hiccup took care of locking the door from the inside before going to use the bathroom and changing into a pair of sweatpants and a simple red t-shirt. Coming out of the bathroom; he saw Toothless and Stormfly curled up together on the bottom bunk. "Night you two," he said, giving both a light rub on the head before he flipped off the lights and met his girlfriend in their temporary room. Surprisingly, the two found while putting stuff away that they could block off their space from the rest of the camper.

"I locked the second door in," Astrid informed.

"Thanks, I was just about to check that," Hiccup smiled as Astrid got on her knees and looked up at him gently. Hiccup tucked some of her hair behind her ear, stroking her cheek. "You're so goddamn beautiful, Astrid," he said softly.

"You're still a dork, but a handsome one," Astrid teased with a laugh; Hiccup chuckled a bit as he locked an arm around her waist and cupped her cheek. Astrid's eyes met his as she got her arms around his neck. "Make love to me, Hiccup," And he needed nothing else to capture her lips with his.

**~Lemon Start~**

It did not take long for Hiccup and Astrid to turn their kisses into a full blown make out session. The past two times since getting back together where they almost just did it all started because of kissing like this; the passion between them just exploded and there was nothing they could do, nor did they want to do anything about it. Hiccup's hands set on Astrid's hips and worked up to get her shirt off and toss it aside, once that was gone he used just one hand to unclip her bra and remove that as well. Hiccup released her to pull off his own shirt and then drag Astrid against his frame while the kissing continued. Hiccup lifted Astrid up as her legs went around his waist; he laid her down on the bed and stayed over her. Astrid relaxed her legs as Hiccup's lips moved along to her neck.

"Mm," Astrid moaned a little. Hiccup continued his movements down to hold both breasts; one hand massaged as he used his mouth on the other. After a few moments; he switched to keep the action even on both sides. "Ah…Hiccup," she breathed out. Hiccup kissed lower, pulling Astrid shorts and underwear down to get them out of his way. Hiccup got between Astrid's legs; licking up the folds as Astrid gripped the bed moaning. Hiccup smiled as he dove into eating her out and then after a minute or two; he started to finger her slowly. When some time passed with that; Hiccup went faster, harder, and even entered a second finger. "Fucking…Gods, Hiccup…I'm…Gonna cum," Astrid tensed up a little. Hiccup didn't stop, though. Astrid arched and released.

Hiccup pulled his fingers out and wiped his mouth as Astrid laid there panting from her orgasm. "I still give it good?" Hiccup chuckled.

"S-Shut up…" Astrid mumbled as she sat up and pulled Hiccup down onto the bed as she was on the left of him. "Your turn," Astrid moved a bit to take off Hiccup's pants and boxers. Of course, Hiccup was already hard. Astrid moved her hand around Hiccup's length; beginning to stroke up and down. Hiccup just relaxed to the feeling, closing his eyes as Astrid smiled and continued. A minute of two later; she lowered her mouth over Hiccup's cock and started to give him a blow job along with the hand job.

"Gods, yes…" Hiccup moaned. Astrid started to pick up the pace in her movements. It didn't take too long for Hiccup to reach orgasm; he gripped the bed a bit. "That's it…Ast…I'm cumming," Hiccup groaned as he hips bucked up and he came. Astrid stayed in place to take it all and swallow; Hiccup panted as Astrid pulled off and smiled at him.

"I call riding first," Astrid stated.

"I figured; I know it's one of your favorites," Hiccup nodded as he reached over into the small drawer on his side of the bed; he pulled out the box of condoms and got one out. Hiccup opened it up and slid the object on, making sure the top was free of air. Astrid moved up more as she positioned herself over Hiccup's cock and lowered slowly; she instantly hissed at the feeling. "Easy now…It's been a while since either of us have done this, babe," Hiccup reminded gently. Astrid nodded, using Hiccup's chest to hold herself up and get used to the feeling of Hiccup being inside her core.

"Not a matter of the time passed; you're bigger than you were eight years ago, Mr. Late Puberty…" Astrid stated.

Hiccup hadn't even considered that his dick had grown during that late puberty, which he knew was part of it anyway. Hiccup had actually forgotten that they had this conversation, about Hiccup hitting puberty at fifteen; it really started to hit him in sophomore year and stopped when he was twenty. Hiccup never even gave it a second thought because he and Astrid were having sex at seventeen, and they'd broken up at eighteen. Yeah, it never even crossed his mind that he could be bigger than eight years ago.

"Am I really that much bigger? I mean, I don't personally just stare at my dick to check the size, and I wasn't have sex after we broke up…" Hiccup muttered a bit.

"Feels a lot bigger, babe. Longer and thicker than when you were eighteen…Fuck," Astrid moaned a bit. "Feels amazing…" she said as she started rocking her hips back and forth on him. Hiccup smiled as he put his hands on her hips and started to move with her. Hiccup knew when Astrid was ready to kick it up because she's take charge and change the pace at which she moved, and that's how it had always been for them.

**. . .**

_[11:30 pm]_

An hour and a half passed since they entered the bedroom and started, a lot went down in the intercourse part. Hiccup, at some point, took over and put Astrid against the wall for a bit, then the two of them switched to doggy. When that was over; Hiccup got Astrid on the bed with him on top of her. The first of thing in this position was Hiccup having Astrid's legs over his arms, then dragging her to the edge of the bed and keeping her separated. The final, was missionary, where they currently were now. The two of them were at their end.

"I'm gonna cum…" Hiccup panted.

"M-Me too," Astrid held onto his shoulders. Hiccup only took a few more thrusts before he slammed in and released. Astrid's walls clenched tightly around Hiccup's length as she orgasmed. Hiccup's motions stopped almost instantly; they panted trying to catch their breath while sharing kisses and physically trembling from the incredible feeling that washed over them like waves.

Hiccup pressed his forehead to hers. "I love you,"

"I love you too," Astrid said. After some time passed; Hiccup held the condom and pulled out slow, he then removed it from his cock. Hiccup tied it off and tossed it in the small garbage next to his bed. Hiccup grabbed a few tissues to clean up with as Astrid basically did the same.

**~Lemon End~**

Hiccup and Astrid got comfortable in bed, snuggling up still completely nude to one another with the blanket drawn up.

"Okay…Now, I'm ready for bed," Astrid tried to laugh, but she was tired.

Hiccup was too. "Me too. Goodnight, Milady,"

"Night, babe," Astrid replied. Not long after; the both of them knocked out and let sleep win.


	26. Chapter 26

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**26.**

_=Astrid's POV=  
[Tuesday, 9/27/2022-5:30 pm]  
[Dragon's Edge; Drake's Lair-Site #615]_

I loved that Hiccup and I were able to make love on Saturday night; it was nothing short of incredible and perfect. That wasn't meant to reflect that only us making love was perfect; just that the deed of having sex was a great way to end the already amazing day, even if all we did was arrive, set up camp, shop, and eat dinner before sitting around the fire for a couple hours. Now, Sunday morning consisted of a late breakfast because Hiccup and I slept in until about 9:15 am. I think Hiccup got up around 6 am, though, to let the dogs out to do their business. I remember him crawling back into bed and holding me as he fell back to sleep. I showered while Hiccup made breakfast; we only did bacon and egg sandwiches on english muffins. The dogs got the leftovers plus their own food and water. Hiccup took his shower while I cleaned up; I felt that was fair since he cooked.

By the time Hiccup was dress; we decided to leash our dogs and take a walk around the campground to see what it had to offer since it had been a very long time since we'd been. I think the last time was when we were about to start high school, so eighth grade. Maybe it was after ninth grade? Maybe it was both; I had no idea. Hiccup apparently couldn't remember either. This place still seemed the same, but there were some upgrades to the time we lived in currently. This place had hiking trails, the camp store, pool, canoeing, kayaking, arts and crafts, game and music nights. And we saw the lineup for everything going on this week while we're here. There as bingo, karaoke, picnics, dancing. Hiccup and I made sure to take a copy of the itinerary so we could add it into our plans for the week. Sunday was more of a rest day, to actually enjoy the atmosphere; we didn't do anything extravagant.

Monday, however; Hiccup and I decided to go to the theme park. It was a blast! The best part about this amusement park is that there were seven parks in total, all named after the ancient dragon classes; Strike, Tidal, Tracker, Boulder, Stoker, Mystery, and Sharp. Hiccup and I were definitely trying to do them all while on vacation. We used Monday to do Mystery and Stoker. We got back home around 3:30 pm after arriving at 10 am when they opened. It was a very eventful, but fun day. We got back to the site and relaxed; then had dinner, and sat around the fire as we had the night before. We didn't make love Sunday or Monday night; it was never our style to do it a lot anyway. Even before the breakup, Hiccup and I only had sex maybe two or three times a month. Then again, we were teenagers with a curfew, school, and homework, so it was hard for us to find moments we could do it anyway.

As adults, I wasn't sure if we'd end up doing it more or not; things were different in the sense we both had jobs, and Hiccup's took his toll on him exhaustion-wise. Or, Odin forbid it, and I know it could happen again, but if Hiccup were to get deployed; that would put an extended damper on us having sex. As I said, though; not a big deal. Sex isn't what made our relationship what it is. Love, trust, and communication did; even the little outings or spending the night in each other's arms is what made Hiccup and I a great couple. But, here we are on Tuesday night; about to have dinner. Hiccup and I spent today at the campground; we played mini golf, took the dogs for a long walk around the lake, spent some time at the pool too. It was fun, and tomorrow we'd likely hit the parks again; I think we were doing Sharp until after lunch; then coming back to the campground.

Tonight's dinner was chicken over the fire with a side of mashed potatoes and green beans. Hiccup was handling the chicken while I did sides and we both did a different part of setting the table. I set the sides on the picnic table and Hiccup brought over the tray of chicken wings and legs; a small portion for us and then we'd likely share some with the dogs.

"This looks great," Hiccup said.

"Your chicken smells amazing," I complimented.

"I try," Hiccup shrugged. "For a while I thought I lost my ability to cook with all the shit meals we got overseas," he chuckled.

"That bad, huh?" I wondered.

"Babe, it's tasteless food in a vacuum-sealed bag," Hiccup informed.

"Yeah, that sounds awful," I nodded as we were serving ourselves.

"It is, but you take what you can get to survive in a tight spot," Hiccup mentioned.

"True," I smiled. "So…I have to know because I'm curious like that…What kind of girls did you end up with after me?"

"I already told you that I haven't had sex with anyone but you," Hiccup stated.

"No, no, not like that. Just…In General. Girls you met up with for dates or actually dated," I chuckled.

"I mean, I don't remember all of them," Hiccup admitted.

"That's okay," I smiled. "I'm just wondering because you said none of them were me, so I'm genuinely curious as to what kind of girls there were after me,"

"Well…I wasn't with anyone at all the whole first year because of army training, then moving to Berserker, and then the year-long tour in Syria. So…Two years before anything happened at all. And I didn't even put myself out there," Hiccup began.

"Let me guess…Dagur, Eret, and Thuggory?" I giggled a bit.

"Bingo," Hiccup responded. "They are the culprits behind me getting back into dating after you. The three of them, and even Heather were trying to get me to get out there and get over you," he said. "It started with just dates; you know…Going out to dinner, or maybe a movie. Some of these women showed right away that they only wanted sex, and needless to say; that was the end of that,"

"Yeah, been there," I understood. "One and done," I mentioned as Hiccup nodded.

"Like I said, nothing really lasted long because of my career…Or the erection problem," Hiccup shrugged.

"Alright, so…Who were the girls you dated? How long? What were they like?" I questioned.

"The girls I dated were…Let's see," Hiccup looked up a moment. "The first was Vera Grimborn," he stated.

"Grimborn…? As in, related to Viggo Grimborn; the leader of Viking Platoon?" I blinked.

"Yes…Vera is his niece," Hiccup nodded. "It lasted maybe three weeks; there was nothing wrong with her, but I just couldn't deal with the constant being watched by Viggo, Ryker, Agnar, and Brynjar…Obviously, you know who Viggo and Ryker are…But Agnar was Vera's little brother, two years younger and then Brynjar was Vera's older cousin. Also, Vera was nice, very shy and uncertain about everything, also three years younger than me…I was twenty, she was only seventeen. I guess you could say it was hard to talk to her. Thank Odin that Brynjar and I remained friends,"

"You still see him?" I asked.

"From time to time when we have missions to do while deployed; he's on my Special Ops team," Hiccup informed. "Along with Soren, Oivind, Frode, Sigvard, and Jolgeir. You've never met them, but you probably will at some point. We're all in Alpha Company on different platoons; I rank highest and lead that group,"

"Ah. So who else?" I smiled.

"Uh, next was Olivia Holgerson; she's actually Oivind's adopted sister when her mother married his father. I guess she elected to keep her birth father's last name. Anyway…I was with her for…Four months? Things started alright in…I think it was November 2016? But she started getting really pushy and demanding on the intimacy side of things. I mean, I tried…But you know that didn't go so well. She got annoyed as I'd mentioned not being a virgin and have had sex before; she stated that it shouldn't be a problem unless the reason I couldn't get it up was because I was still hung up on my ex, which, as I learned years later was the exact reason,"

"Safe to say it ended when she brought me up?" I inquired.

"Yeah; it turned into a big fight and I got defensive regarding you. She said she couldn't be with someone who wasn't going to be all in it and it's clear I wasn't, so she called it over and we haven't really seen or spoken to each other since. Oivind mentioned last time we talked that Olivia was settling down with some guy she'd been with for two years. I said I was happy for her and that's where we left it," Hiccup said. "Uh…There were quick relationships after her, obviously, I was 21 and we were heading out to our second tour. I'd been talking to one girl; she was…Norna Beck. Very outgoing, talkative, and headstrong. We maintained a long distance for a month and a half, but didn't work out because she was cheating on me with her ex, go figure,"

Hiccup took a drink of his water bottle. "I let that go, wasn't broken up about it at all. Next relationship was Ragna Falk; she's another go-getter kind of girl, but her biggest flaw was her cocky attitude. Always having to be in charge, ya know. I just…Didn't like it. We dated two months; I was home on two-week leave and she tried to have sex with me. Got mad when I wasn't getting hard. I returned to Afghanistan and then maybe three weeks later; I ended things because I just wasn't any kind of happy and she wasn't my type,"

"Was there anyone else while you were on tour? Well, the second one?" I asked while taking a bite of my chicken.

"The last one was Thordia Dahl; that actually went pretty well, if you want honesty. We were able to talk, nothing demanding or pushy, had some common interests, etc. We dated…Probably five and half months, and it ended when I got home from the tour. We broke up because I had gotten hurt a few times, she would get concerned or panicky if I wasn't able to make contact for more than three days. When I got back; she admitted that she cared for me, but couldn't handle my military life," Hiccup explained.

"I feel I should ask…Is that why you asked me if I could handle it? As a make or break for us dating again?" I wondered.

"Yeah, that had a part to play in it. But also just making sure you'd be cool with the fact I joined when we broke up and it's not a job I can just quit," Hiccup nodded.

"So…Was there anyone else?" I looked at him.

"Uh…There was Disa Hansen, briefly. That happened…Perhaps three or four months after second tour ended. It went decently, but she wasn't my type in the sense there wasn't much trust. She was always under the impression I was cheating. I ended that one after two months," Hiccup said. "A few others were Gala Vinter, and Signy Ostberg. Neither lasts too long. Signy is also Soren's cousin; he's the one who wanted me to date her, but hard feelings when it didn't work out. There was one I was with for literally seven days, Brenna Grayson. There was nothing wrong with her, but I think I just hit a point where I felt it would be like the rest, another failure, so I ended it. Gala was the last after a month of dating, in December 2020. After her, there might have been a few random dates here and there, but no relationships. The only one that was close, was Heather. But I told you how that went," Hiccup informed.

"Yeah, I remember," I nodded.

"Like I said, none of them were you. I just didn't make the connection I have with you with anyone else. Don't get me wrong; there was…Let's use potential, that one or two of the relationships might have worked if we actually fought to keep it going. I just didn't have the drive to fight, though," Hiccup stated.

"I understand," I replied lightly.

"So, what kind of guys you end up with since we're on the subject?" Hiccup asked.

"Well…After the breakup; I stayed hung up on you for about a year. After you left; the only thing I wanted to do was get the chance to explain my mistake and beg your forgiveness. I was asking your parents at least once a week if you made contact. One day Snotlout told me you made contact, and told your parents that I wasn't supposed to know anything about you. All our friends, and your parents told me that they hoped a day would come we could talk and work things out, but until then…It was best to move on with my life. I probably took the rest of that time until it hit a year we'd been broken up; just to get my head together and focus on me," I explained.

"I'm ridiculously surprised that Snotlout of all people was the one to say something," Hiccup replied.

"I was too actually. I originally figured he said it to try and date me, but turns out…Snotlout never made a move on me after you and I broke up," I mentioned.

"Really? Not once? No flirting, hints, anything?" Hiccup arched a surprised brow.

"No, nothing. I asked him once, probably after he met Minden and they started dating. Snotlout said that he couldn't do that to you, make a try for me after what happened between us; knowing you were ready to marry me and when things happened, you took off. Also, he stated something about that it wasn't his job. He never explained that," I shrugged.

"I can," Hiccup stared. "I asked him to keep an eye on you,"

"What?" I said, shocked.

"Before I went on the first tour, which was a year after we broke up…I asked Snotlout to watch over you. Not like bodyguard or anything; just that you were alright. Act like a semi-protective brother where you two had the type of sibling relationship who never saw eye to eye, but if you ever needed protecting or anything; they'd be there," Hiccup informed.

I couldn't believe it. Hiccup arranged for Snotlout to protect me after the breakup? "Now it makes more sense why he told me that if I ever needed anything to let him know," I said. "I guess I can thank you then,"

"What for? Did you actually call him for something?" Hiccup asked.

I nodded. "Once or twice when dates or relationships went wrong,"

"I…Don't like where this is going. What happened?" Hiccup inquired.

I sighed. "One of the dates I went on was giving me really bad vibes, and I didn't have my car. Ruffnut dropped me off on her way somewhere since my car was in the shop. I was really uncomfortable with this guy; I tried to get anyone to pick me up, no one could. When the date ended; Ruff had said she was running late and would be there soon. The guy stood with me, said to sit in his car because it was cold and starting to snow. I agreed, but he was getting really touchy. I ended up getting a text from Adel, asking how the date was going. The guy kept trying to grab at me. I guess it sparked me remembering what Snotlout said and I instantly messaged him; he showed up five minutes later when the guy was trying to corner me,"

"Wait…Was this guy was trying to rape you?" Hiccup arched a brow with a much more serious tone.

"I feel like he might have tried; it was about 10 pm and we'd gotten out of a movie. When he cornered me; I kicked him in the dick and when he doubled over; I kneed him in the face before shoving him off and running. Snotlout and Tuff had already been heading in my direction; I instantly got in the car and tried to calm down. You know; the initial adrenaline wearing off and then you process the situation," I stated lightly.

"Yeah, been there. But, you were okay right?" Hiccup questioned.

"Of course. Snotlout threatened the guy to stay away from me or he'd pound him; then he took me back to my parents' place. The two of them sat with me until my parents got home," I said.

"And…Were there any other instances?" Hiccup wondered.

"Yeah; I had a couple friends over when I dated this one guy. He was decent in the start, but after a couple months; he got too comfortable as my boyfriend. You know, trying to sleepover, asking me to make him food or drive him around. One time I had our friends over the house, and me and the guy argued about something. I think we…Actually were on the subject of you. No one told me anything, of course; just that you still checked in now and then, were doing good. The guy got mad I was curious about my ex, so we argued a bit and…He backhanded me across the mouth," I looked down a bit.

"What?" Hiccup stared.

"I was unprepared for the hit, so it took me to the ground…My lip was bleeding, cheek bruised. Fishlegs had seen it and rushed to help me; the panicking got the attention of the others and they came into my room to help. Snotlout and Tuffnut held the guy back from trying to attack me again. I recovered a few moments later and ended things; then told him to get out or I'd call the cops. He left, haven't seen him since," I mentioned softly.

"Surprised you didn't castrate him and mail his dick and nuts back to his mother on a silver platter to be entirely honest with you. Does he live on Berk?" Hiccup asked.

"I felt like more violence would only make it worse...But believe me...I wanted to. And no; he lived on Hysteria, but it's been so long now that I can't remember where exactly. That happened…I don't know sometime in 2020; I think after him I decided to say fuck it to dating guys. Not so much because of what he did, just because I knew they'd never be you, Hiccup. None of them could make me the happy that you do. No one could or can take your place," I assured.

"Well still…If I ever see him and he tries to hurt you again…I'll kill him," Hiccup warned.

"Babe, you're not a killer…" I said lightly, putting my hand on his.

"Not of the innocent. Astrid…I'm a solider. I've killed to protect myself and my comrades overseas…I would absolutely kill someone trying to hurt the people I care about here at home. Also…I'd only kill him if he refused to stop an assault on you. I'd probably only have to beat his ass to knock him out or wait for cops…" Hiccup shrugged. "Anyway, let's not go to a grim topics…How about some of the other guys? I know they weren't me, but you said you longest had been about six months, so I'm guessing not all of them were spineless rapists and abusers…" he added.

"Alright, alright…I'll tell you about some of the relationships," I nodded with a smile. I knew telling Hiccup about those two specific guys would make him mad. I knew he had to of killed overseas; it was part of the job. But I figured all that was just…Casualties in battle; stuff you don't ever see. I never expected to learn that Hiccup had killed knowingly to protect himself or friends. Again, I knew it could happen, but I didn't think Hiccup would be so forthcoming with the information. Either way; it was nice to get this kind of stuff out in the open. Hiccup told me about the girls he dated; it was fair that I did the same. I guess this is how we were spending out evening, which was fine with me.


	27. Chapter 27

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**27.**

_=Hiccup's POV=  
[Tuesday, 9/27/2022-6:30 pm]  
[Dragon's Edge; Drake's Lair-Site #615]_

It had been a fun couple of days on vacation so far. Astrid and I were mainly enjoying the fact it was just us for the trip; our dogs too, but if we went anywhere outside of the campground they would stay in the camper. I'd leave the fans on and full food and water dishes, so they were good when we were gone; I'd also lock the doors while we were away. Sad to say, but I didn't trust anyone else in the campground not to mess with our stuff, or the dogs. I wasn't worried about Toothless being hurt, but Toothless could definitely hurt someone else being a husky and wolf hybrid. Toothless dealt with that in the past, being bullied for lack of a better word. Toothless became so distrusting and aggressive that everyone was scared of him until I came along and showed Toothless that I trusted him and wasn't afraid. But all that aside; I was glad Astrid and I were sitting down and chatting about ex's.

I can't even begin to describe the anger that sparked when I learned Astrid almost got raped on a date. But the rage that took hold of me learning someone actually hurt her…It set me off. I was controlling my emotions regarding the matter; I understood it was in the past, but I didn't like hearing Astrid was smacked. There was even some guilt, because she was talking about me that day and her, at the time boyfriend, didn't like it. If I ever saw him and he tried anything; I'd deal with it personally. Right now; we were both basically done eating and decided to clean up. We set away leftovers and did the dishes before relaxing in the double camping chair with the fire going; the dogs were laying together in front of the flames while enjoying the warmth.

"So…These others guys. Start talking…" I joked with Astrid, smiling.

"Well, dates-wise; it was a bigger number…But if we're talking just relationships since you…" Astrid paused. "Five guys, including the one who hit me. Sadly; he was the longest and the last for two years until we met up again," Astrid informed.

"Alright, so…Who was the first?" I questioned.

"His name was Kolgrim Moller; good guy. We had some interests and hung out three or so months before he asked me out. We dated, maybe three months before he came to me, openly, and admitted that he still loved his ex-girlfriend. Something about them talking again and wanting to get back together. I respected it, of course, knowing that if it were me with you; I'd do the same. That was the first relationship, from October 2015 to January 2016," Astrid stated.

"Seems like a nice guy," I replied calmly.

"Uh…He was a year older than me. I was nineteen, going on twenty in April 2016. He was…Twenty-one, red hair, green eyes, stood about five-foot-seven? Uh, birthday? Fuck…I can't remember the day, but I know it was in December, after Snoggletog," Astrid offered.

"Alright…Who was next?" I inquired.

"I think the next person was a quicker relationship. His name was Hedin Jespersen, born late November. Dark brown, almost black hair-always spiked. Uh, light brown eyes. We talked a bit at the end of 2016, into 2017. I think…March 2017; he asked me out, but we only dated about a month. It just wasn't working with us being a couple. He was…How do I word this? Emotionless. Like still saying how he felt, but didn't show it. If that makes sense?" Astrid shrugged.

"It does. A lot of saying, but not showing? Like the old-time saying of _actions speak louder than words_?" I asked.

"Yeah, exactly like that. And like I said; I think we were better…Friends than lovers. But somewhere after the breakup; we lost contact. Haven't heard from him since like…July 2017?" Astrid mentioned.

"Well, around this time I was serving my second tour in Afghanistan. So…Where did your next dating adventure take you?" I wondered with a smile, grabbing the stick to shift the wood on the fire to get the unburned bits burning.

"Well, the next one was…Sort of an unwanted breakup," Astrid said, gaining my attention. "I meant that as in us breaking up was…Outside of our control," she clarified. "Our relationship started May 2018; we were together for five months…But he died," Astrid looked down now. "No one saw it coming. I didn't receive much information on it; I attended the services and then took a long break afterward. I don't think I dated again for a while after that,"

"I'm…Sorry to hear that," I looked down. I'd known a lot of friends who killed themselves too.

"After the break; it was probably a year later. I focused on my studies and getting over the death. I didn't think it would hit me so much. But in June 2018, I met this one guy; his name was Magnor Eldur. We talked a while before dating; that happened later on in August 2019. We dated until December 2019 and ended things because it just wasn't working out. He was a very shy guy, insecure, constantly anxious and panicky. It clashed with my personality, so we ended things mutually," I informed.

"So…The last guy must have happened then? The abusive one. You said February 2020," I remarked.

"Yes, the abuser was the last until we met up again in June 2021…So, he was very cocky and always had some kind of comment about everything. We dated February 2020 to August 2020, and broke up because I initiated it after he hit me. We haven't seen one another since, but I heard a lot of rumor after the fact that he was cheating, and had done this to other girls. But…That was it, yeah. In October 2020 is when I had to do the birth control switch…And I've been single since. Well, until we met up and got back together," Astrid smiled.

I nodded, thinking about something. "Babe?" I asked.

"Yes?" Astrid replied.

"I…Noticed out of all the guys you listed…You didn't give the name of the one who…Died," I informed gently. Astrid looked down a little, then into the fire. "I'm…Not trying to stir up painful reminders, it's just…This guy passed away in October 2018, right?" I inquired.

"Yeah…I'm not sure how he did it; there were a lot of different rumors regarding the method. Some say he overdosed, others claim he shot himself…" Astrid said.

"Astrid…What was his name?" I asked straight out.

"Why do you need to know?" Astrid wondered.

"I'll…Tell you after, but I need to know his name. Right now, please?" I pushed.

"Ander. Ander Kongur," Astrid responded with a sad sigh. I sat back, eyes widened and in complete shock. "Why do you suddenly look like you're the one who lost him?"

"Be-Because I did…" I said. Astrid's head snapped up in confusion.

"What?" Astrid stared.

"Astrid…Ander Kongur was a soldier in my platoon…" I informed her.

"A-Ander was in…Your platoon?" Astrid blinked. "B-But he never…Mentioned being in the military, at all!" I didn't say anything at first, trying to collect my thoughts.

"I've known Ander since I joined, Ast. We were in training together, always on Dragon Platoon under Viggo…In 2018, I was the rank of Sergeant First Class, Ander was only a Corporal…I was…Sort of Viggo's second in command, unofficially. Ander was medically discharged from the military in May 2018 for failing a psychiatric evaluation after a really big loss in the company. We…Lost about ten people, all in the course of five days. Ander saw three of them die; he was sent for eval…And failed it, diagnosed with severe PTSD…" I closed my eyes. "He…Was supposed to be getting help with an outside therapist…" I lowered my head. "We heard about his death two days later,"

"Tell me, Hiccup," Astrid put a hand on my shoulder.

"You don't want to know…" I turned my head.

"Hiccup, please?..." Astrid tried again. "I want to know,"

"Astrid…" I sighed. "Ander committed suicide; he shot himself in the head. He did it one night when he was alone; he was found the next morning, face down on his bedroom floor. He'd been drinking a lot, using drugs…I'm sure you weren't told any of this, but we were. Babe, this is how bad PTSD can get over time if left unmanaged. This is what Gobber, Eret, Thuggory, and Dagur were talking about the night of the welcome home party. How a lot of our friends said they were fine…When they really weren't. It's a mention to how many people told us they were okay, and we found out shortly after that they ended their own lives," I stated.

"Hiccup…Honestly, how bad is your PTSD? And the only reason I ask is because the guys pointed out that you said you were fine…And not to get mad at them for worrying about you…" Astrid put her hand on mine.

"As I've said; I only have a minor case, babe," I assured. "I've had moments were it became a bit much to cope with…But I did get help in managing it all. The guys only say that because I've seen and done more as Special Ops. But I am okay, Milady. I promise,"

"You'll tell me if…That ever changes, right?" Astrid hoped.

"Of course," I nodded.

"Good," Astrid leaned her head on my shoulder. I kissed her forehead. "I love you, Hiccup,"

"I love you too, Astrid," I replied lightly. We stayed there quiet for a while, just watching the fire and enjoying the peacefulness around us. I knew that the topic a moment ago probably made things a little weird. I learned Astrid dating a member of my platoon, and she learned he killed himself because of PTSD. Not exactly joyful for a romantic vacation, but it happened to come up in conversation. When she mentioned the death; it just seemed…Familiar and I felt like I had to know if it's who I thought it was. Turns out I was right. And sometimes; I really hated when I was.

"So…When did you pick up singing as a hobby?" Astrid asked.

"Huh?" I looked at her.

"During the welcome home party; you did that song with your friends. And the Archian Soldier one you actually wrote. Is that something you picked up over the years gone by?" Astrid reminded.

"Not so much a hobby as being bored and it was something to pass the time," I chuckled. "There were a lot of times where literally nothing was going on, so we'd do anything to stay entertained. Some played games, others took naps. I decided to see if I could write a song. Me singing, well, that surprised me as much as it did everyone else. Some of the military songs out there are good at riling everyone up before a big mission; reignite the fire to kick ass," I shrugged.

"You're really good at it," Astrid blushed.

"Thank you," I smiled.

"Would you sing for me?" Astrid wondered.

"What? Right now?" I blinked as she nodded. "I mean…I don't have any other…Original songs to sing. It would only be covers of others,"

"I don't mind that. I just want to hear you sing," Astrid giggled. "Anything at all," she added.

"Eh…I usually only do it when it's called for. The song I did with the guys were because I was with them and that was a tune we used to get ready for mission. And the one I wrote…Well I did that because my boss basically made me. I guess it's just gotta be the right time for me; I don't do it at random," I explained.

"I understand, but I definitely wanna hear you sing again because it's really good," Astrid stated.

"On my word, love," I offered a head bow to her. These past days have been great; I think we really needed it after everything. After all, it had been kind'a crazy since we got back together. I was only on my two week leave, which got cut in half. Astrid and I talked, made up, and got back together in one night. I was deployed another two months, got home early, all the work, the memorial, stuff with the house. It's been madness, but this…These past few days of peace and fun with my girlfriend have been amazing. I loved that we still had Wednesday through Saturday, four more days of fun. I mean, we technically leave on Sunday the 2nd, but that would mostly be a breakfast and packing up to get out by 11 am; that was checkout time from the campground so that the staff had time to come in and clean up the RV for the next renters.

"Babe?" Astrid got my attention as I looked at her.

"What's up?" I asked.

"You think we should invite everyone up for Friday morning? Give them the whole day with us?" Astrid inquired.

"If that what you'd like to do?" I questioned.

"Well, I know this whole thing is mainly for us…But I was thinking on what they said last Friday," Astrid shrugged.

"About us telling them and we all could have gone camping together?" I arched a brow.

"Yeah," Astrid nodded. "I mean…We all were supposed to do a trip together after graduation. Even after you left, none of us ever did it. I was just thinking that it'd be nice to get the experience of having all of us here for a full day. Obviously, the night is still ours, but…"

"Milady, if you'd like to invite everyone for all day Friday; I'm fine with it. I'm sure they'll be thrilled. We won't be doing anything that day anyway," I smiled.

"I know, Friday was a campground day because Wednesday is a park day. We're doing…Sharp and Boulder tomorrow," Astrid said.

"Yep. And then Tracker and Tidal on Thursday," I agreed. "And then we're doing Saturday afternoon in Strike and staying for fireworks because they do the big show on the water on the weekends," I added in.

"Right, so I guess we can afford a day on Friday with everyone. What time should we tell them?" Astrid asked, getting her phone out to text everyone.

"Well…We have to consider when the first flights here from Berk are…I want to say they start doing them at 5 am," I informed.

"They'd probably take a 7 am flight. Hour and a half…Puts them at 8:30 arrival, plus the shuttle from the airport here…I'd say about 9 am they'd reach the campground," Astrid shrugged a little.

"Tell them that then. But add in it's entirely their choice if they want to spend all day here. If some still want to come at lunch, that's fine," I said. Astrid nodded as she was working on texting the friends, and her parents. "I'll tell my parents," I got my phone to message Gobber and my folks about the invite to come earlier. "So, that's taken care of…What now?" I chuckled setting the device down.

"You up for s'mores?" Astrid inquired.

"Oh, sounds good. You wanna break the stuff out while I use the bathroom," I looked at her.

"Sure," Astrid nodded as we both got up. "Stormfly, stay,"

"Toothless, stay here, bud," I told him as Astrid and I both moved inside the camper. I went and used the bathroom, and I knew Astrid grabbed the marshmallows, chocolate bars, and the graham crackers. I finished and joined her back outside as she was setting everything up on the small side tables we had next to our double chair. I grabbed the metal roasting sticks and got them ready with a marshmallow each. "I can't get over how perfect the weather has been,"

"Yeah, I love it," Astrid beamed as we worked on cooking our little snack for the night.

"Guess we picked a good time to take a vacation," I chuckled a little while shifting the stick to make sure the cooking was even. I saw my phone light up with a reply from the message I sent earlier. "Hold this for a sec?" Astrid nodded, taking it as I got my phone to check who messaged me.

_**Mom's Cell, 7:57 pm  
Hi, son. That sounds lovely. Dad, Gobber, and I will be there by 8:30 on Friday. Snotlout and Adelaide will be with us. Hope you're having a good time! Love you!**_

"Mom said they'll come with Snot and Adel," I informed calmly.

"Nice," Astrid replied as she handed me my stick back. I quickly replied with something easy.

_8:00 pm  
Can't wait to see all of you. Let me know when you get here on Friday; I'll meet you at the office and bring you to the site. Is anyone bringing a car?_

_**Mom's Cell, 8:02 pm  
We're renting a van. I think Dagur and Mala are too. We figured to carpool once arriving. Is that okay?**_

"Guess they aren't taking the shuttle when the come on Friday. Mom just said they plan to rent for the day," I told Astrid.

"I suppose that makes it easier. There are going to be nineteen of them, right?" Astrid looked at me.

"Yeah, I think so," I nodded to her while checking my marshmallow; then turning it a bit to brown the other side while texting my mom back.

_8:05 pm  
That's fine. And yes, we're having a blast. Tell you more about it on Friday. Currently having s'mores with Astrid. See you in two days, love you. Night._

I set the phone down and finished my marshmallow and set it on the cracker chocolate then added the cover and pulled the stick out. Astrid finished hers and did the same; we clicked snacks with a laugh and started eating them. Today was fun, so was the evening; I loved all the relaxation of this vacation, and the best part is that Astrid and I would be leaving as engaged lovers. I knew Astrid didn't know that yet, but she would on Friday. Though, I was debating to ask her on Saturday night when we watched the fireworks together. I think it would be a bit more romantic to ask her when it was just us, like the first time. I was still deciding; I had a couple of days to make the full choice. I had the ring with me, put away in my suitcase. I knew she wouldn't go in it because our clothes were outside and stacked neatly on the top bunk.

"I love you," Astrid said.

"I love you too," I replied as we leaned in and shared a kiss. I couldn't wait for tomorrow, another fun-filled day with the love of my life.


	28. Chapter 28

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**28.**

_=Normal POV=  
[Friday, 9/30/2022-8:15 am]  
[Dragon's Edge; Drake's Lair Campground]_

Hiccup and Astrid loved their two days at the theme park; they'd go in the morning and hang until 3 or 4 pm before returning to the campground to wind down, make dinner, and relax with their dogs. Of course, Wednesday night was spent at one of the campground-hosted events it was a movie night on the lake. Anyone who went could literally float on the lake in a floaty to enjoy the film. The cool part for Hiccup and Astrid were that they had their own dock on the site, so they just floated over to that when the movie was over. Now, though; it was Friday and they knew their family and friends were coming to see them. Hiccup woke up at 6:30 am to get started with the day; it began with using the bathroom, showering, and enjoying some coffee before cleaning the RV and outside for guests. With everything done now, Hiccup was sitting outside with the dogs and waiting on the message from his mom about them having arrived. Though, he found it odd his girlfriend was still asleep.

A vibration in his pocket alerted him that he'd just received a message. Hiccup pulled his phone out and checked who it was from; it had to be likely be his mother, father, or Gobber.

_**Mom's Cell, 8:15 am  
We're all here, sweetie.**_

"Toothless, Stormfly…In the cart; let's go for a ride," Hiccup called to the dogs, who bolted into the golf cart. Hiccup started it up and drove to the campground's main office; he reached it a few moments later to see the two rental vans with everyone loaded in and split up between the two. "You all checked in?"

"Yeah, said to go to site 617 and gave us a map," Gobber held the paper up.

"Just follow me," Hiccup informed. "Come on," he smiled. Dagur was driving one van, and Stoick was driving the other. Hiccup led them through the easiest road to get to the site. "Pull along the trees there, side by side," he informed when they arrived. Hiccup parked in his spot and got out smiling as the two vans parked and everyone got out. Hiccup greeted his family members first, then everyone else with handshakes or hugs.

"We all brought what was asked of us," Asvora stated.

"Great, go ahead and set up your chairs around the fire. I'll take the bags inside and wake up Milady," Hiccup chuckled.

"Astrid is still sleeping? At this hour?" Calder blinked.

"We had a late night," Hiccup smiled. "Stayed up talking most of it. Didn't actually fall asleep til around 3 am," Hiccup took all the bags with food or supplies in them towards the camper. "Be right out," he headed in. Hiccup first put all the stuff away where it belonged and then he strolled over to the bed to find Astrid still fast asleep. Hiccup crawled into the bed and moved some hair out of the way before kissing her forehead. "Babe…Hey, time to wake up,"

Astrid groaned a bit but started to open her eyes as she turned her head to see Hiccup's face. "Hi…"

"Time to get up, Milady," Hiccup said calmly.

"Do we have to…" Astrid mumbled, burying her face in the pillow as Hiccup chuckled a bit.

"I've been up since 6:30, beautiful," Hiccup informed. Astrid lifted her head.

"Wait…What time is it?" Astrid inquired.

"Almost 8:30 am," Hiccup said. "Our friends and family are here as well. I just went and grabbed them from the office," he smiled.

"Why didn't you wake me up sooner!" Astrid hurried out of bed.

"Easy, easy, babe. It's all good. They just got here and setting up their chairs around the fire. Go use the bathroom and shower up; I'll start breakfast," Hiccup kissed her forehead.

"It was supposed to be ready when they arrived," Astrid mumbled.

"It's all prepped, love. Just needs cooking and won't take long at all. Now, go on and get ready," Hiccup urged.

"Okay, okay…" Astrid agreed as she got up and kissed Hiccup lightly before moving to the bathroom. Hiccup grabbed the breakfast stuff from the fridge and returned outside.

"She up?" Valka asked.

"Yeah, heading for a shower now. Give her like…" Hiccup paused, thinking on it. "Fifteen minutes or so," he added while getting the things to start cooking on the outside kitchen area. Hiccup did everything in fifteen minutes, and by then as he was setting it out on the table for a buffet-style breakfast; Astrid moseyed out wearing a green tank-top and brown shorts with a pair of brown slippers. "Good morning, Milady," Astrid grumbled a bit as Hiccup watched her move to her seat in front of the fire and plop down tiredly. Hiccup got her a cup of coffee and made it the way she liked before walking it over to her. "Here you go," he offered it to her.

"Thanks," Astrid took a few sips and smiled, relaxing more.

"If the shower doesn't fix you, ice coffee does," Hiccup chuckled. "Now, everyone up and eat before it gets cold," he said. Hiccup grabbed his and Astrid's plates, which were made first and sat down beside her with both, handing Astrid hers. "Here, babe,"

"You're the best," Astrid smiled as they shared a kiss and started eating their breakfast. Not too long later, the rest of the group had their food and were sitting around to eat as well. The breakfast was nice, and everyone just talked and caught up since the last time they'd seen one another, which was a week ago for the house-warming party.

**. . .**

_[12:30 pm]_

Everyone was having a great time thus far hanging out together at Hiccup and Astrid's site. Of course; they wandered a bit and enjoyed the campground. Hiccup and Astrid showed them around, but most of was at the campsite because it was a big group to have wandering around. Some time was spent at the field near the playground because Magne and Dagny wanted to play there. It worked out because the group could chill in the field and talk while the dogs ran around. Hiccup would play ball with Toothless and Stormfly while chatting with the others. Everyone was still at the field, after all; it was a beautiful day.

"This is so nice…" Adelaide breathed out, relaxing against Tuffnut.

"Yeah, it is. You picked a beautiful week to come camping, Hiccup and Astrid," Minden giggled.

"Originally…We were only going to come for the weekend, but Hiccup figured that since he was taking three weeks of vacation; we might as well use the last one effectively and spend it camping," Astrid smiled.

"We should consider heading back to the site for lunch," Hiccup informed.

"Let's relax a bit more, babe. It's a nice day. We can have a late lunch," Astrid chuckled.

"Whatever you want, Milady," Hiccup smiled, kissing her forehead. Everyone just took in a breath of air, totally relaxed.

"Well, isn't this a nice surprise," came a familiar voice from behind. Hiccup turned to see Viggo there with a small group of people.

"Viggo, hey. What's up?" Hiccup smiled as Astrid moved off Hiccup's shoulder to let him stand up and greet the man with a handshake.

"Camping with the family. Are you doing the same?" Viggo chuckled some.

"Well, it's just my girl and me with the dogs. But family and friends came up for the day," Hiccup informed.

"Always nice. I don't believe I've ever introduced you to my family. This is my wife, Kelda and her brother, Brenden," Viggo said, motioning to the two people with him.

"Pleasure to meet one of Viggo's coworkers," Kelda smiled.

"Viggo and I have a long history; I was one of his recruits originally," Hiccup laughed some.

"Pain in the ass too, but you were one of the best in training; that's for sure," Viggo agreed. "Kelda, Brenden. A few of my other recruits are here too; Dagur, Eret, and Thuggory,"

"So good to meet all of you," Brenden nodded. "Kel, where are the others?"

"Should be right along," Viggo said.

"Right here, da-Hey, Hiccup! Holy Odin it's been a while," exclaimed a man with brown hair and green eyes.

"Brynjar, hey! Yeah, it has. Haven't seen you since June," Hiccup connected hands with him.

"You two know one another?" Eret asked.

"Well, yeah…Hiccup leads the Elite Alpha Special Ops team I'm on with a few others," Brynjar stated. "And he dated my cousin, Vera,"

"That was ages ago," Hiccup muttered.

"So…That's still how I met you," Brynjar informed as Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"I'm pretty sure we met during Special Ops training," Hiccup corrected.

"Oh yeah! You're right," Brynjar nodded. "We had to face off against one another,"

"And you lost," Hiccup grinned.

"I would have beaten you if I wasn't already tired from the other fights," Brynjar huffed.

"That's such bull. I had just as many fights before as you and I was fine," Hiccup remarked.

"Yeah? I say we go again. It's been a couple years," Brynjar challenged.

"Brynjar!" Viggo glared.

"What, Dad? Just suggesting," Brynjar shrugged.

"Not everything has to be a competition," Brendan sighed.

"We'll fight again, Bryn. Just not now; I'm on vacation," Hiccup chuckled. "Maybe during next drill?"

"You're on," Brynjar shook his hand.

"Hi, Hiccup," came a female voice walking up; she had light brown hair and brown eyes.

"Vera, Hi," Hiccup greeted.

"How have you been?" Vera inquired.

"Good, good. How about you?" Hiccup asked.

"Living life; working, in a stable relationship," Vera smiled.

"Same, and I know on the dating thing. You're with Soren; he's another member of Elite Alpha," Hiccup stated. "I'm happy for you,"

"Happy for you too," Vera mentioned. "You seem a lot happier,"

"Got the love of my life back," Hiccup admitted. Astrid blushed a bit. "This is Astrid,"

"So you're the famous, Astrid? It's lovely to meet you finally. Hiccup and I stayed friends after the breakup; he's mentioned you a lot over the years. You always said you would get her back one day from what I remember, Hiccup," Vera giggled. "Oh. Kat and Dane said they're coming, Auntie Kelda,"

"Thank you, dear," Kelda smiled. Astrid tensed a bit at the name, but stayed put and understood that she could panic over a name because it might not even be who she was thinking of. Two more people strolled up as Astrid laid eyes on the male and sort of shifted a little to get behind Hiccup and out of sight. It wasn't like her to get scared and hide, but the guy she was looking at was the one who backhanded her. And unfortunately, fear came in the territory of being around someone who put their hands on you in a hurtful manor. Astrid wasn't going to say anything because she knew it would piss Hiccup off.

"Hi, sorry. We're here," said the girl.

"Hey, Katja," Hiccup stated.

"Hiccup! Hi!" the girl, Katja, smiled and hugged him. "It's been so long,"

"Maybe a bit," Hiccup returned the hug. "This the famous boyfriend Bryn told me about?"

"Yes, this is Dane Jakobson," Katja introduced.

Before Hiccup could shake the man's hand, Snotlout and Tuffnut were up. "We told you if we ever saw you again; you were dead," Snotlout remarked.

"Small world," the man, Dane, shrugged casually. "I'm just here with my girlfriend and her family,"

"Uh, what's going on?" Hiccup inquired as he looked back at them, and now noticed that Astrid had shifted to be behind him. "When did you move behind me?"

"When I saw him," Astrid said lightly.

"Why?" Hiccup asked.

"Hiccup, that guy is one of Astrid's ex's," Tuffnut mentioned. Slowly, Hiccup started connecting the dots from Astrid's stories about the guys she's dated. Astrid said that one of the guys had hit her; Snotlout and Tuffnut were the two who kept the man back from going after Astrid again. Dane saw Astrid and smiled.

"Been a while, hasn't it, Ast?" Dane greeted.

"Don't talk to me," Astrid remarked as she got up angrily. "You don't have the right to!"

"I'm just saying hi," Dane stated.

"Yeah? Well, you can say bye because I don't want to talk to or see you ever again," Astrid glared.

"No need to be a bitch," Dane said.

"Hey, past or not…Don't call my girl out of her name," Hiccup stepped in now.

"She started it," Dane shrugged. "Why you mad, Astrid? Come on…It was like two years ago and you left me,"

"With good reason!" Astrid yelled.

"Alright…It's getting a little heated," Heather stated. "Let's break it up…"

"Whatever happened, it's done and over with…" Eret remarked.

"Hey, it never would have worked between us. Astrid. Bitch was wicked obsessed with her ex," Dane huffed.

"I believe I already told you not to call her a bitch once. If you do it again; I'm gonna be far less understanding," Hiccup informed firmly.

"I ain't afraid of you. Don't go wasting all your time defending the slut; she only cares-," Dane started, but never finished because Hiccup cut him off.

"You were warned once not to call Astrid out of her name. Perhaps you don't fear me now, but if you call her anything other than Astrid again; I'll make you regret the day you ever met me," Hiccup glared.

"I mean…He had it coming," Snotlout said as Tuffnut nodded his head with a few others.

"Especially after what he did to her," Fishlegs informed.

"You keep saying that…So what did he do?" Brynjar inquired now.

"Two years ago, Dane and Astrid dated about six months and he-," Snotlout began.

"He backhanded me across the mouth because we were having a conversation about my ex…" Astrid seethed.

Viggo and Brenden instantly pulled Katja away from Dane while Brynjar joined them in making sure she'd be safe. "Dane…Is it true?" Viggo asked.

"Did you strike this woman?" Brenden asked.

"Of course not," Dane said.

"Bullshit. We all saw it!" Tuffnut claimed.

"I still have pictures," Snotlout informed.

"We took them just in case Dane went after Astrid again and we needed to take it to the police," Ruffnut interjected.

"Now…You have two courses of action. Walk away, or pursue and get beat," Hiccup said. Dane saw everyone glaring at him intently as he went to walk away, which had to be in the direction of going by Hiccup and Astrid. Dane started walking, but as he went by Astrid; he shoved her down. "Babe!" Hiccup quickly assisted her back to her feet. "Are you alright?" he inquired softly.

"Yeah…" Astrid replied. Dane was running for it.

"He's getting away," Minden claimed.

"He ain't gonna get far," Hiccup said before giving a light whistle as Toothless was up. "Toothless. Retrieve," Hiccup put his hand out, snapping his fingers once and pointing to Dane. Toothless darted after Dane, cutting him off and forcing him back towards the group by growling.

"Hey! Call your dog off!" Dane ordered.

"Don't run like a bitch then," Hiccup remarked. "You don't put your hands on my wife and run away to avoid the beatdown you're about to get," Astrid's eyes widened a bit. Did Hiccup just call her his _wife_? It shocked everyone else too, but didn't say anything.

Dane glared and went to attack Hiccup, but he seemed to know it was going to happen. Hiccup moved Astrid back, so she wouldn't get caught in anything. Hiccup blocked Dane's punch and shoved it to the side before lunging in and elbowing Dane in the chest. Hiccup then lifted his arm up and nailed Dane in the jaw before backing up. Dane panted a bit, preparing to attack again, but Hiccup dodged; holding Dane's arm in a lock with his own. Hiccup twisted it just enough to make Dane cry out in pain. Hiccup socked Dane in the gut, then hooked his leg behind Dane's before yanking it forward as the man lost his balance and started to fall. Hiccup released Dane's arm, and whipped around with a spin kick to the chest to force Dane on his back and sliding about a foot away on the grass.

Dane went to get up when Hiccup's back was turned; he pulled a dagger. Hiccup turned around, reaching behind his back and pulling out a black gun and pointing it at Dane. "I wouldn't if I were you," Hiccup said in a calm, stern voice. Dane instantly stopped with his hands up. "One more attempt on me or anyone I care about, and I'll end you. Understand?" Dane nodded. "Now, drop it," he ordered. Dane dropped the dagger as Hiccup used his foot to move it away. "Well, since you put your hands on Astrid, attacked me, and intended to use a weapon; I think that's more than worth calling in the authorities,"

"On it," Viggo informed. "Well done, Hiccup. That weapon is legal, correct?"

"Obviously," Hiccup rolled his eyes. For the next fifteen minutes; no one did anything. The cops arrived and at that point, Hiccup felt he could lower his guard when the police had Dane arrested and taking statements on the situation.

"Will you be pressing charges, Mr. Haddock?" an officer inquired.

"No. I just want him away from my family and friends," Hiccup informed.

"Well, that shouldn't be a problem. He has a few warrants on him from Hysteria, so that's where he'll be returning," another officer said.

"Good," Hiccup nodded. Moments later, Dane was hauled off and out of the campground.

"So…I know I said we should fight again…But uh…After that whole scene; I'm good," Brynjar remarked to Hiccup.

"Same," Dagur, Eret, and Thuggory added in right away.

"Can we address the hidden gun?!" Ruffnut exclaimed.

"Yeah, where was that?" Tuffnut wondered.

"In my jeans," Hiccup laughed a little.

"This is not funny. Why are you carrying around a gun?!" Stoick asked. Hiccup pulled the gun out and aimed it for his father, pressing the trigger as water fired at his father's face.

"Relax, Dad…It's just a water gun slightly modified and painted black. Pretty convincing, right?" Hiccup informed with a roll of his eyes. "Dane didn't seem to know the difference,"

"Neither did we until ya said something!" Snotlout said quickly.

"Uncle Hiccup made water guns for us when we play battle," Magne laughed. "We said that no soldier would use a bright colorful gun, so he made them look more real. We brought them because uncle said we could have a water gun fight later,"

"I mean…I do have a real gun I'm licensed to carry, but I didn't bring it on the trip. Dane didn't strike me as the type to stay down when beat, and I remembered having the gun, so I decided to see if it would work. Guess I was right," Hiccup shrugged. "Now…Let's get back to camp for lunch," Unable to argue much, they all agreed. Hiccup put his arm around Astrid's shoulders. "Are you alright, babe?"

"Yeah, just…Wow. Wasn't expecting something like that to happen…" Astrid admitted.

"Joys of life. But hey, it's over now. Back to the trip and having a good time," Hiccup smiled. Astrid nodded as Hiccup waved to the Grimborn family members as they went off to do their own thing. Obviously, comforting Katja who just learned the guy she was with had warrants and that the guy she was with had backhanded someone else. Getting back to the campsite, Astrid went to use the bathroom while Hiccup started on lunch. It would be something easy; today already had some craziness to it, best to take it easy for a bit. Hiccup knew Astrid was a bit shaken up, despite her strong front earlier. Everything else would be calm; he'd make sure of it. Hiccup knew exactly what he said earlier, that Astrid was his wife. And she would be, so Hiccup wondered if anyone caught it. It would matter because tonight Astrid would be becoming his fiancé, and very soon to follow his wife.


	29. Chapter 29

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**29.**

_=Normal POV=  
[Friday, 9/30/2022-6:00 pm]  
[Dragon's Edge; Drake's Lair Campground]_

The day had been pretty peaceful after the situation with Dane. The family and friends of Hiccup and Astrid stayed at the campsite to talk more and enjoy each other's company. Lunch was calm; they had clam chowder, homemade by Hiccup. When all that was cleaned up and put away; the group sat around to talk more since the topics seemed to be endless. Dinner was upon them now; the choice was an obvious ribs, burgers, hot dogs, and chicken on the fire or mini grill.

"Babe, you got the sides all set? Meats will be done in about three minutes," Hiccup called over to Astrid.

"Finishing them up now, Hic," Astrid replied from her spot in the outside kitchen. "Do you need the serving trays?"

"Yes, please," Hiccup smiled. Astrid headed inside the camper to grab a few and then bring them over to Hiccup. "Thank you, Milady,"

"You're welcome," Astrid kissed his cheek before returning to her work on making sides for the meal; it was mashed potatoes, corn, and biscuits. The guests around the area were just relaxing while Hiccup and Astrid worked on dinner; they had tried to help with it, but the two lovers insisted that they had it under control and to just enjoy everything. "Sides done," she informed.

"Main set," Hiccup nodded as he started getting everything on the trays and setting them on the table to serve. "Come and get it," he called. Everyone got up, lining behind Hiccup and Astrid as they got theirs first and sat down.

Once everyone had their food and was sitting; the group began to eat and enjoy the music and atmosphere. It was such a beautiful night, and only just beginning to reach sunset colors. Hiccup was still planning his proposal, how it would go. Hiccup had a lot of ideas, but nothing seemed right. The first time he asked Astrid to marry him; it had been about 11 pm at night, right after they made love, and with something very basic. Not to mention out of the blue. Hiccup figured that this time; he should be more…Romantic about it. Especially since they had their friends and family over.

Hiccup had the ring put away in his suitcase, and he could do things a million different ways. Hiccup knew Astrid wouldn't care which; she'd be shocked, but she would absolutely say yes. Hiccup just needed to decide how to go about the asking. Honestly; he felt like he just should do it. No gimmicks, no pauses, not fear; just stand in front of Astrid, say a little speech, and then get down on one knee and ask her right out. At the same time; that wasn't his style. The way Hiccup asked Astrid to be his girlfriend at the end of ninth grade was with a song that she loved. Hiccup wondered that if he got the song going; would she take the bait. The first time; they just danced and afterward, Hiccup asked her out. This time, Hiccup was really hoping that when the song ended; he'd drop to one knee, say his little piece, and pop the question.

But why go through all that? Hiccup wanted Astrid to know that he loved her, wanted _only_ her for the rest of his life. There was no reason to hide that fact behind music; if Hiccup just said what was on his mind, even if she saw it a mile away he was going to propose, what did it matter? All Hiccup needed was one word in response. That was all he wanted and needed, and then the rest of his night; he likely wouldn't care what happened. Yeah, the two of them would make love after everyone left, and that would be awesome too. But all that mattered to him was Astrid saying yes to his proposal; she had always mean to eight years ago anyway, but she panicked and ran off. It was in the past now; they both made mistakes in that situation and they were older now and definitely stable in their lives to take the next step together.

With dinner eaten and cleaned up by 7:00 pm; everyone was relaxing around the fire with a drink in hand. There was some music going in the background, and it was officially dark. Hiccup knew he had to get this done before everyone left, which would be at 9 pm, since the last flight to Berk was going out at 9:30 pm. It gave him two hours, and there would absolutely need to be some celebrating over the event of becoming engaged. Hiccup had retrieved the ring from the bag when he'd gone inside to use the bathroom; the object was safe in his pocket now.

"You're quiet tonight, babe. Is everything okay?" Astrid inquired, pulling Hiccup from his thoughts about marriage.

"Hm? Oh, I'm fine. Just enjoying the night with everyone," Hiccup smiled. "It's perfect,"

"I gotta agree with him. This is pretty perfect," Dagur nodded, sitting beside his wife while their twins were respectively sitting on one lap each belonging to their parents. Dagny with Dagur, and Magne with Mala.

Hiccup took a look around at everyone else; it seemed everyone was content with how their lives were going now. Thuggory and Camicazi were officially a couple now; he asked her out the Sunday that Hiccup and Astrid left for their vacation. Eret asked Ruffnut out today after lunch. Adelaide was pregnant with Tuffnut's child; she found out two weeks ago and is currently eight weeks along. Heather and Fishlegs were dating as of the beginning of September apparently, and had kept it quiet for a bit. Minden and Snotlout were still going strong and actually about to be engaged because they had been discussing marriage. From what Hiccup understood; they would probably get officially engaged over Snoggletog. That had been a private thing Snotlout told Hiccup, though because Snotlout had asked Hiccup if he'd be his best man at the wedding. Of course, Hiccup said yes to him; they were cousins after all and close enough to be brothers. Obviously, Hiccup's and Astrid's parents were still happily married and in love. Then there was Gobber; still single but happy, nevertheless.

"It's been a lovely day," Valka said.

"Well, except for that whole crazy ex-boy-," Tuffnut started.

"TUFFNUT!" everyone shouted.

"I was just saying," Tuffnut huffed.

"Yeah, well _just say it_ to yourself," Astrid muttered before getting up and moving down the edge of the dock, standing there with her arms over her chest.

"Come on, dude…" Snotlout stated.

"Why would you even bring that up?" Fishlegs remarked.

"Not cool," Eret said.

"I didn't know she'd get all upset about it; that's not typically Astrid's style," Tuffnut claimed.

"We all know it's not her style, Tuff," Hiccup said. "The night she told me, even I asked her why she didn't rip his dick off and mail it back to his mother on a silver platter; she told me it's because she was unprepared for the hit and more violence would have made it worse, which is the mature response,"

"Says the guy who held on a gun on her ex earlier," Thuggory rolled his eyes.

"It was a _water_ gun, and secondly…I only fought because he pushed her down and attacked me first; it's self-defense," Hiccup corrected. "You all would have done the same for your significant other, so don't give me crap over it," he added. "I'll go talk to her," he got up and followed after Astrid onto the docks. Getting to the end; he got his arm around her waist she Astrid just shifted and leaned against his shoulder with her arms both around his waist. "Don't listen to him; you know he's an idiot sometimes,"

"I know, but still…" Astrid mumbled with a heavy sigh to follow.

"Don't let it get to you, babe," Hiccup assured. "I don't think we'll have any further problems with Dane; he's apparently in a lot of trouble for various things on Hysteria. What happened today was just a freak…Encounter, and it won't happen again. I mean, if he knows that's good for him. I don't think he wants to deal with me again," he laughed a little.

"Yeah, not likely. Even Brynjar didn't want to fight you after that," Astrid nodded.

"I'm one of the top fighters, not many want to fight me," Hiccup chuckled some. "Come on, cheer up. We're having a good night,"

"Alright…Sorry I wondered off. Guess I just needed a moment or two, one of those wondering how things would have been if Snotlout and them weren't around that night. Dane absolutely wanted to go after me again, and I felt like I probably could have taken him on, but at the same time; the initial hit took me by surprise and I felt fear…"Astrid shrugged some.

"That's a normal reaction, babe. You are undoubtedly one of the strongest, kindest, and smartest people I've ever met…But you are only human, love. And we all deal with those instances where you feel something rare. No matter what you do, those feelings exist and certain situations can bring them out. Like…With how you got scared and ran away from me eight years ago. Choosing not to face a situation isn't your style, but that situation was one that made you run. And being abused, even if just once; is another one. Consider the situation if it was just you, babe. You were…Shocked at what he did, but would you have been able to recover and fight back in the moments it took you to process what had happened?"

"Put like that, no. The force took me to the ground, and I was down there a good minute or two with Fishlegs while Snot and Tuff held Dane back," Astrid admitted.

"My point, love, is that it happens to all of us. Despite how we _typically_ are on a day to basis; there are moments when we show sides that don't come out often. But just because we don't feel it often, doesn't mean it's not there. It's just…Part of being human," Hiccup informed.

"You're right," Astrid replied. "Thanks for putting it into perspective for me, and coming over to cheer me up," she added. Hiccup smiled as they shared a light kiss before turning and returning to the campfire. "Oh, and thanks for…Defending me earlier against him…Even if you did use the wrong label," she giggled a little.

"I did?" Hiccup asked curiously now.

"You, uh…Told Dane that no one puts their hands on your wife and then runs from the beat down," Astrid smiled now.

"Oh, that," Hiccup said in a serious tone. "It wasn't an accident that I called you my wife,"

The campsite fell quiet now as Astrid looked at Hiccup, seeing that he wasn't smiling. "I-It wasn't?" Astrid asked.

"I know what I said," Hiccup responded. "I said it because I meant it,"

"B-But I'm…Not your…Wife?" Astrid said, confused.

"No…No you are not," Hiccup sighed as he figured this was the best moment to do it. "But you can be," he added as Astrid's eyes widened a bit. "All you have to do is say yes this time,"

The guests gasped a bit, eyes widened and watching intently. Of course, some of them, already knew to record this moment. "Hi-Hiccup? What do you-," Astrid started.

"Astrid, you are the love of my life. Alright? There's no questioning or debating that. I mean, come on…Eight years after you told me no, and several failed dates and relationships later; we're back together as if nothing changed because our feelings never faded or died for one another. I've said it before, and I'll say it again as I did all those years ago…" Hiccup began as Astrid didn't say a word. Was he really about to propose to her? "Do you remember the night of the memorial, when I said I had no favorites?" Astrid nodded to him once. "You're not my favorite because you are my first," Astrid felt her tears start to form.

"Okay? You are my first friend; first crush, like, love, and kiss. You are my first girlfriend, the only girl I've ever made love to despite all the others who have tried, and I mean desperately tried to sleep with me," Astrid giggled a little as Hiccup was holding her hands, smiling softly now. "It seems none of that was meant to be as I'm back here with you. You are not my favorite because you are my first and you will be my only because I don't want anyone else, so you're gonna be my last. You have a very special place, Astrid, and there is not a soul on this Earth who can take your place in my heart or my life," Hiccup continued. "You and I have been through everything together, and I believe that we can make it through anything as long as we're together. Astrid, you have me no matter what. Whatever that means, whatever you want it to mean; I am with you,"

The tears finally slipped from Astrid's eyes as she choked up, smiling still. "There will always be a Hiccup and Astrid. I love you, Astrid Hofferson, with everything I am…And until the day I take my last breath; I always will," Hiccup reached into his pocket, pulling out a red, heart-shaped box and getting down one knee. Astrid brought her free hand to her mouth, gasping in surprise. Hiccup held her other hand, while opening the box to reveal the ring that looked all too familiar to Astrid. "Despite what happened; I never got rid of this, Astrid. It was always meant for you, and so here we are as it was eight years ago…" Hiccup took a deep breath. "Milady, will you do me the greatest honor of becoming my wife? Will you marry me, Astrid?"

Astrid made sure that if she did this; it wouldn't end in injury to either of them. Astrid smiled wide, tears flowing from her eyes as she nodded to him. "Yes…Yes! Infinity times; yes, I will!" Astrid threw herself forward at Hiccup, knocking him down to the hard, dirt ground. Hiccup instinctively made sure the ring was secure and held onto Astrid so she'd land on him.

"Ow!" Hiccup yelped upon hitting the ground, but somehow, despite the pain; he could only smile and breath a sigh of relief. Astrid held herself up with a giggled before going down and kissing Hiccup deeply. Astrid broke the kiss and sat back as Hiccup came up more, even though they were still on the ground. Hiccup pulled the ring from the box and slipped it on Astrid's left-hand ring finger. "Finally, right where it belongs," he chuckled some. "I love you, Astrid,"

"I love you too, Hiccup," Astrid replied as he cupped her cheek with his left hand and pulled her in for a hard, passionate kiss. The group of friends and family cheered, chapping with joy for the moment. After the kiss, Hiccup got both of them back on their feet as Astrid held onto him tightly; her head was on his shoulder, one hand on his chest. Hiccup an arm around her waist as they just smiled and faced everyone.

"Marvelous job, son," Stoick stated.

"Beautiful," Asvora and Valka said together.

"Now…We got two hours left here; I say we celebrate!" Snotlout announced.

"Alright, alright," Hiccup agreed. "But keep it down; the last thing I want is to end up kicked out over noise," he chuckled.

"Decided to go with out of the blue again?" Astrid looked up at him.

"Actually…No. I've been planning this since I got home from the tour," Hiccup admitted as everyone blinked. "I told you, I never got rid of that ring. It's always been among my things, even after we broke up. I made sure it was with me when I left Berk, times I went on tour…Everywhere. Never in sight, but always close by. When I got home, and learned about all the housing stuff; I knew what I was going to do. I told myself that I had you back, and I wouldn't lose you again, Astrid. I decided that once I got all my things taken care of; I'd ask you to marry me again,"

"Things? As in…Getting the house?" Astrid arched a brow.

"You got it. So, Snotlout wasn't…Entirely wrong at the house-warming party. I purposely picked a big house for me so it would have room to add more to a growing family. The master room for us, two extra rooms as one is an office, perhaps the second for a child? Or both for kids, doesn't matter. I wanted to ensure that things would be set for after this trip. Being engaged now, I assume you'll be moving in," Hiccup stated. "I have a key already made for you at home on the counter; set on purpose for when we got back and you'd see it…Astrid, everything since I've been home has been part of one big ass elaborate plan for us to start the future we should have had eight years ago. And I'm not blaming you, because there is enough to go around between both of us," Hiccup informed.

"Regardless…I knew once we started dating again in June that this is where I wanted things to be as soon as possible. I wanted to be with you, get the house; one big enough for you to be able to move in with Stormfly along with Toothless and I; then we'd have a home to start our family in. And Odin knows there's enough room to renovate if necessary. I wanted everything taken care of to ensure the security of our future together," Hiccup said.

"Oh, Hiccup…" Astrid hugged him tightly.

"I love you," Hiccup said.

"I love you too," Astrid replied as they kissed again, only get more cheering from family and friends.

"Party time!" a few exclaimed. Hiccup nodded, turning up the music a bit. This was a great night, and the vacation wasn't even over yet. However, one thing was for sure; the next big event was planning Hiccup and Astrid's wedding. Hiccup and Astrid couldn't wait.


	30. Chapter 30

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**30.**

_=Normal POV=  
[Friday, 9/30/2022-8:00 pm]  
[Dragon's Edge; Campground-Site #617]_

It had been totally unexpected that Hiccup proposed to Astrid, but at the same time; everyone kind of suspected it would happen soon. And the proof was in his little explanation that he'd been planning this since he got home from his third tour of duty in August. Also adding in that the purpose of such a big house was to prepare for adding more members to it; Astrid first, as Hiccup's wife, and then the extra bedrooms for the sake of children. All of it meaning that Hiccup set up the security of his future with a wife and kids in one house; thereby eliminating the need to start in one place and move to accommodate any changes. Either way; Hiccup and Astrid were officially engaged now and everyone was celebrating that fact. In an hour, the guests would be leaving, so Hiccup and Astrid would have the rest of the night to themselves and it was already heavily assumed that they'd be having sex.

"So any wedding plans already set?" Adelaide inquired.

"As we only got engaged an hour ago, not really," Hiccup informed with a smile.

"Come on, you must have a date in mind?" Fishlegs stated.

"Maybe your first dance song?" Asvora suggested now.

"There's plenty of little things you can take care of without much sitting down and planning," Heather giggled.

"I love that ring," Minden said, taking Astrid's hand and admiring it. "You said it was always meant to be Astrid's?"

"I bought that ring in June 2014, after prom but before graduation," Hiccup nodded.

"So, you held onto it all this time, even through the breakup?" Snotlout inquired.

"Didn't feel right to just get rid of it, and I suppose despite how things went down; I always hoped I'd get another chance. The more time that passed with us apart; the more it hurt. I eventually settled on understanding that there is only one Astrid, and she's the only one for me. But between all the tours and bouncing between islands…I felt that trying to talk to Astrid or get back together would have been difficult. As I said before, it wasn't all her fault we never talked; there's enough blame on both sides for why it took eight years to get where we are now," Hiccup shrugged.

"And you said that since you got back in August; you've been planning this?" Dagur asked.

"Yep. Getting the house, moved in, and taking this vacation…All of it led up to proposing," Hiccup replied. Astrid laid her head on his shoulder, linking her fingers with his. "We'll let you now when we start planning stuff," he smiled.

"Actually, babe…There is one date I had in mind, but I don't know if you'd go for it," Astrid mentioned.

"Let me take a guess," Hiccup laughed a bit. "June 15th next year?" he looked at her. Astrid nodded to him.

"Why that date specifically?" Eret wondered.

"That's the day Hiccup and I started dating back in freshman year," Astrid stated lightly.

"But…You two broke up?" Tuffnut reminded.

"But despite the years that passed, our hearts were always with one another," Astrid told him. "It's why neither of us moved on; our love was stronger than time and distance," Hiccup kissed her temple.

"Well," Hiccup checked his phone's calendar. "The date falls midweek on a Thursday, Milady. But…How about the 17th? That's a Saturday, and it would mark one year that we got back together; still in June?"

"I'll take it," Astrid agreed.

"Then it's decided. We get married June 17th, 2023," Hiccup confirmed.

"Uh…Son, that's not even a full year away? It's like nine months," Stoick chimed in.

"So?" Hiccup looked at him. "You don't need a lot of time to plan a wedding. The only unions that take a year or more are for people who expect a lot. Astrid and I don't have that problem,"

"All we need is a place, date, time, guests, food, playlist of music, and us," Astrid informed with a smile. "And we just covered date,"

"And guests is pretty easy too; it's everyone here tonight," Hiccup chuckled. "And Spitelout and Freda," he added.

"Place? I think The Great Hall works. It's where we had our junior and senior proms," Astrid reminded.

"And homecoming where I first asked you out," Hiccup nodded. "Time could be at 5 pm, go til about 9:30 or 10 pm?"

"Sounds great. And you can handle music from your computer. I already know what songs I'd want for dancing with my mom and dad," Astrid smiled.

"Same," Hiccup responded. "And I think I have a pretty good idea on what we'd want for first dance as husband and wife,"

"Oh, yeah?" Astrid giggled.

"The one we danced to when we got together," Hiccup said.

"Couldn't have picked a better one," Astrid nodded. "And as for food; I think we should go easy. Chicken or pasta,"

"Could do both in one. Chicken Parm?" Hiccup offered.

"I like that idea better," Astrid kissed his cheek. "And cake?" she stared into his eyes.

"I think I know you well enough to know what you want. Chocolate with a cherry filling and white covering; then some Viking-related designs?" Hiccup asked.

"Yeah, you know me," Astrid nodded, laying her head on his shoulder again. "Can we do Viking-theme? Well, for what we wear?"

"If that's what you want, Milady; that's what you'll have," Hiccup nodded softly. "I think that's everything,"

"I agree," Astrid laughed as they shared a light kiss.

"See, done and done. Just planned the entire wedding in less than ten minutes," Hiccup looked at the others.

"You two forgot maid of honor, bridesmaids, best man, and groomsmen," Valka informed.

"Maid of Honor for me is Ruffnut," Astrid said.

"Awe!" Ruffnut got excited.

"You are my oldest and first female friend," Astrid told her. "We may have our differences, but you're still my best friend. Bridesmaids are Heather, Minden, Camicazi, Mala, and Adelaide," Astrid said afterward.

"Best man is Snotlout. Groomsmen are Tuff, Legs, Eret, Thug, and Dag. And I believe there's a special place for a flower girl named Dagny, and a ring bearer named Magne," Hiccup listed.

"Okay, now we're done," Astrid laughed a little. "Now we just gotta handle booking, ordering, and fittings up until the day,"

"What about a honeymoon? Calder inquired.

"Oh, that's easy. We're going to The Hidden World," Hiccup replied.

"Wait, we are?!" Astrid looked him, shocked.

"You mentioned a few nights ago you wanted to vacation there, babe. I see no reason not to use it as our honeymoon spot," Hiccup told her.

"B-But it takes months, years to get a reservation for the hotel!" Astrid exclaimed. "And the resort!"

"Not to mention the price tag," Fishlegs stated.

"That place has been booked for the next four years," Mala added in.

"To be expected; it's an underwater amusement park and hotel. I heard there's one elevator straight down, and then busses, monorails, and what not to get around," Gobber informed calmly.

"You need not worry, Ast. Your soon to be husband knows the owner who owes him a favor," Hiccup assured. Astrid squealed and hugged Hiccup tightly. "I figure we can go for two weeks,"

"You're the best!" Astrid hugged him still. Hiccup returned it and they kissed again.

"My only joy in life is seeing you happy, and knowing you're at my side through whatever," Hiccup cupped her cheek.

"I feel the same about you," Astrid smiled and they shared another kiss, more passionate than the first and holding it much longer.

"Well, I think it's as good a time as any to get going," Asvora told everyone.

"Our flight doesn't even leave until 9:30," Calder told her.

"And if we leave now, we can catch the 8:30 one," Asvora hinted. The others caught on that it was a good time to leave to let Hiccup and Astrid enjoy their engagement bliss alone.

"We'll see you when you get back," Stoick stood up.

"Alright. We should be back around 2 or 3 pm on Sunday," Hiccup got up to say goodbye to everyone, and Astrid did the same. "Should I guide you out?"

"No, we got it," Dagur assured him. "Have a good night,"

"Oh, we will," Astrid grinned.

"Astrid!" Hiccup paled. The group laughed and filed into their rentals to leave the campground and get back to Berk.

"Babe, they all know we're gonna have sex," Astrid chuckled. "That's why they left early,"

"I know, but still," Hiccup smiled as he brought her close to his body. "I love you,"

"I love you too," Astrid replied as they kissed again. "So…Should we shut everything down out here and take this…Engagement party into the camper, more specifically, the bedroom?" she trailed her finger on his chest.

"You handle putting everything in the RV and I'll take care of the fire," Hiccup asked.

"Meet you inside," Astrid let go and got to work instantly.

**. . .**

_[8:45 pm]_

Hiccup took care of the fire, putting it out and ensuring everything was safe. Astrid handled putting things where they belonged, and then Hiccup assisted her. The two changed into their night clothes, both using the bathroom and making sure the dogs were set in bed. Hiccup locked the doors and met his future wife inside their vacation bedroom; she was already laying in a slightly sexy pose in only her black lace underwear and a red piece of lingerie. It covered her breasts, but the straps were thin, and the gown part itself reached her waist and was see-through. Astrid blushed a bit as Hiccup closed the door, only wearing his sleep pants and boxers as he made his way over to Astrid. Hiccup crawled into the bed beside her. Hiccup used his arm to stay up a bit and look down at Astrid as she reached up and caressed his cheek lightly.

"I love you, Hiccup," Astrid said lightly, moving her hand back to play with his hair some.

"I love you too, Astrid," Hiccup replied before Astrid pulled Hiccup down and their lips met in a kiss.

**~Lemon Start~**

The kisses only became longer and more passionate between them, a full make out session began as soon as their lips touched one another. Hiccup had adjusted slightly when they began so that they were laying beside one another, but after five minutes of making out; he shifted to be on top of Astrid, still kissing intimately. Hiccup moved his kisses along to Astrid's cheek and to her neck. Astrid moaned a little, holding onto Hiccup while rubbing her hands along his back, arms, and shoulders. Hiccup lifted Astrid a bit and pulled off the lingerie piece and laid her back down, still kissing her lips. Hiccup scooted down to massage her breasts.

"Mm, Hiccup," Astrid moaned lightly. Hiccup began to lick and suck one nipple while massaging the other. After a few moments, Hiccup switched to the other as Astrid continued to move her hands on his shoulders, and playing with his hair a bit. Hiccup continued to move down, pulling Astrid's underwear down as he shimmied more. Hiccup set the panties aside and held Astrid's legs with his arms around them. Hiccup kissed along Astrid's womanhood, eliciting soft moans and pants from her before he dove in with his tongue between her folds. "A-Ah!" she gasped at the feeling. Hiccup continued his actions, licking up and down; teasing her entrance with by tongue-fucking her a bit. Astrid gripped Hiccup's shoulders tightly, panting.

Hiccup smiled as he kept up what he was doing, also paying special attention to Astrid's clit. Astrid moaned out loudly when Hiccup did this. Hiccup shifted a bit to his side and brought two fingers to Astrid's core; he pushed them in, causing Astrid to cry out in pleasure. Hiccup started pumping his fingers in and out while licking and lightly sucking on her clit. "Gods…Hiccup," Astrid gripped the bed sheets beneath her. Hiccup continued his actions for another two or three minutes until Astrid tensed slightly. "I-I'm gonna cum," Astrid informed. Hiccup didn't let up at all, he starting pumping his fingers faster and harder; curving them up to hit her G-Spot. "F-Fuck! I'm cumming!" Astrid cried out as she tensed up her walls around his fingers and arched a second time.

Astrid came, squirting a little; Hiccup stopped his fingers and tongue to watch her lay there sprawled out on the bed, panting hard to catch her breath. Hiccup smiled, wiping his mouth a bit. While Astrid recovered Hiccup got off his pants and boxers, reaching into the drawer where he kept the condom box and fished one out. Hiccup got it on himself before crawling over his future wife again. "Ready to keep going?"

"Not gonna let me give you a blow job first?" Astrid asked.

"No, I just want to make love to you tonight. I want you to enjoy everything; that's what makes it so great for me," Hiccup replied. Astrid blushed a little, understanding and spread her legs for him. Hiccup pushed in fast and hard as Astrid moaned out, her arms locking around Hiccup's neck. Hiccup gave it a moment before he started to rock his hips, slowly bringing his hardened cock in and out of Astrid's pussy.

"Hiccup…Mm," Astrid moaned, pulling Hiccup down more and capturing his lips with hers; they started kissing and making out while Hiccup thrust into her womanhood. Hiccup kept this up for about ten minutes before he shifted to use his arms to hold himself up with Astrid's hands on Hiccup's arms; this only held for five minutes. Hiccup then got Astrid's legs draped over his arms and continued to thrust in and out. "Feels…Good," Astrid panted.

"Yeah, it does," Hiccup replied with a smile.

"Gods yes…" Astrid tilted her head back some, enjoying the feeling.

"You want to ride for a bit?" Hiccup looked at her. Astrid nodded her head as Hiccup pulled out carefully and they switched places so that Hiccup was on his back and Astrid was on top. Astrid hovered her core over Hiccup's erect length and lowered herself, moaning out as he entered her.

"Fuck…" Astrid shivered at the incredible feeling. Setting her hands on Hiccup's chest, she began rocking her hips. Hiccup moaned, putting his hands on her hips and letting her continue what she was doing. After five minutes; Hiccup began moving with her, thrusting up into her rocks so they'd meet perfectly in the middle with speed and force that was good for them to draw this out longer.

"Astrid…Gods," Hiccup brought her forward more to kiss her lips again. The time just ticked away without a care in the world, because for them; time stopped when they were together. Once Astrid had been riding for ten minutes more, Hiccup and her changed positions again so that they were in doggy style.

"Mm! Yeah…" Astrid moaned on her hands and knees. "Faster…" she asked. Hiccup picked up speed as Astrid bowed her head, panting and clutching the bed sheets. "Ha-Harder!" she pleaded. Hiccup did as asked while finding that it was getting harder for him to hold back. Maybe they hadn't been at this as long as they used to when they were younger, but at the same time; both of them had been out of the sex game for quite some time. It might take a bit to build up that stamina again.

Gods…" Hiccup groaned; he pulled out, making Astrid whimper a bit. However, Hiccup turned her around and pushed back in once they were facing each other. Hiccup lifted Astrid up a bit; she instinctively locked her legs around his waist as Hiccup set her back against the wall of the camper and started thrusting upwards into her hard and fast again.

Astrid pressed her forehead to Hiccup's with her arms around his neck; they were staring into each other's eyes. Astrid moaned, kissing Hiccup deeply as her walls tightened. "S-So close…"

"D-Don't tighten like that," Hiccup told her softly.

"Can't help it, feels so good," Astrid replied. After just five more minutes, Astrid and Hiccup were both at their limits. "I'm gonna…Cum…" Astrid panted.

"Me too," Hiccup informed. Astrid's walls tightened again as it set Hiccup over the edge; they both released at the same time; crying out at the pleasure it brought. Hiccup's thrusts eventually slowed as he finished, but he still felt Astrid's walls contracting from her orgasm. Trying to catch their breath; they still kissed one another and Hiccup brought Astrid over onto the bed once more on her back; he carefully pulled out and discarded the protection into the trash nearest him. Hiccup grabbed the towel from his shower this morning and let Astrid clean up first, then he took care of himself.

**~Lemon End~**

The lovers didn't bother to get dressed, and since they weren't going to the park until late on Saturday; they'd definitely be sleeping in. Hiccup and Astrid prepared their bed and got into it; Hiccup adjusted himself for Astrid to lay on him and he could hold her in his arms comfortably. Hiccup pulled up the covers over them and they snuggled up.

"I think our family and friends aren't pleased that we took all the fun out of the wedding planning," Hiccup chuckled a little.

"Right? I think they were hoping we'd take a year or so and be able to help us," Astrid agreed.

"Well, perhaps if we were any other kind of couple; that would be the case. But we're very simple people, always have been," Hiccup reminded.

"Planning everything in a matter of fifteen minutes is just easier. I personally think spending all those months planning is what makes it stressful and no one can really enjoy the engagement itself," Astrid mentioned.

"I agree with you," Hiccup said. 'Besides, there will still be stuff to do leading up to the big day. The invitations, picking what we wear and fittings," Hiccup added.

"There will be plenty more they can take part in," Astrid laughed. "I'm just glad this is where we are,"

"What do you mean?" Hiccup asked.

"Just the fact we've only been back together for three months; I didn't expect we'd be getting engaged so soon," Astrid admitted.

"Well, like I explained earlier, babe. I've been planning this since I got off tour; the house to have a place where we could grow as a family, and then using this vacation to pop the question. To be honest, Ast…Ever since we saw one another in June…It's been there. Wanting to talk to you, and hope to the Gods we could fix things, seeing how easily we were able to just pick up as if all the time hadn't passed, like when we first became friends. It just felt right, natural. The night of the blind date, I actually almost turned it down because I'd been planning to ask you if we could talk anyway," Hiccup explained.

"Yeah, turns out our friends and families wanted us to talk and fix things too," Astrid replied.

"I knew after you explained everything that we both fucked up. I shouldn't have bailed that night, and you shouldn't have been afraid to come talk to me. Regardless, as that's the past…I knew once all that was in the open; I wanted you back. I didn't care about anything else other than having you be mine again. I would have popped the question that night, Astrid…But then I got called back to war and said, much like with having sex that night, it wouldn't have been right. So I waited until the tour was over and I was back. I wanted everything to be a perfect flow into having the house, going on vacation, asking you to marry me, and then us both going back to the house with you moving in. Obviously, after that, getting married and starting a family," Hiccup enlightened.

"Well, looks like it all worked out," Astrid smiled as they kissed. "I love you, Hiccup," Astrid said tiredly.

"I love you too, Astrid," Hiccup replied. "Get some sleep,"

"Okay. See you in the morning," Astrid closed her eyes. Hiccup kissed her forehead before closing his own eyes and drifting off to sleep shortly after he knew she was out. Finally, they were engaged and the next big steps would be Astrid moving in and them getting married. Neither could wait.


	31. Chapter 31

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**31.**

_=Astrid's POV=  
[Monday, 10/10/2022-7:30 am]  
[Isle of Berk; Astrid & Hiccup's Home]_

It's been interesting since getting home from vacation. Hiccup and I returned on Sunday the 2nd around 1 pm, had lunch, and then unpacked. I was pleasantly surprised to see a key on the kitchen counter with a note from Hiccup saying; _Since you're always here anyway, and we're engaged; it made sense to give you your own key to the house. Or you could just move in. Love you, Milady. -Hiccup_. It was sweet, and obviously; I moved on. We were quite tired after the trip and wanted to relax before work on Monday, so we decided to handle the moving in of my stuff during Saturday and Sunday of the next week. It didn't take much to move me in; mainly my clothes and personal items. Since Hiccup had a king-sized bed; I didn't need mine. But I did bring my dresser, and we arranged the master a bit to accommodate; it was a long dresser with seven drawers, so we put it against the wall. I hung my nice stuff in the walk in closet. In the bathroom, Hiccup had a double sink, so one side was all for me. Overall; it only took a day to do, and we were happy when it was over. We took Sunday, yesterday, to relax and enjoy the fact we were now engaged and living together in the same place.

Today, I got woken up when Hiccup left for work at 4:45 am. I knew he'd be there until 4 or 5 pm tonight; I had to admit I wasn't thrilled about his eleven or twelve hour days, but there wasn't anything I could do. It's where our lives ended up after what happened eight years ago. I laid awake for a bit after Hiccup left, and tried to get back to sleep. However, a random bout of nausea hit me, and I rushed to the bathroom. Nothing came up, thankfully, but it had me down for five minutes until the feeling passed. I got up and decided to just shower and start my day. I didn't have work until 9 am when the animal hospital opened, and I'd be working until 4 or 5 pm. Hiccup and I would likely be getting home around the same time, if I got home first; I'd be cooking dinner. I didn't mind, though. Right now, I made myself some breakfast and sat in the living room with a mug of coffee; Hiccup and I were texting, or at least when he was able to reply back.

I sighed heavily, setting my coffee down on the couch-side table. I felt nauseated again, and hated it. I closed my eyes, relaxing before getting a response from, I assume, Hiccup. I checked the screen.

_**Hiccup, 7:32 am  
We're just finishing morning PT and announcements now, onto breakfast. How's your morning going?**_

Just as I was about to reply, I felt my breakfast coming up my throat. I tried to hold it back, but it didn't stay down. I dashed for the bathroom down the hall and hit my knees, puking twice, and then once more a few seconds later. I coughed a few time, spitting before sitting back against the wall of the tub and trying to catch my breath. "Ugh…" I groaned. "Gods…Don't let me be sick again," I sighed, laying my head back.

"_Babe? Babe, hello?"_ I heard and glanced around. _Why do I hear Hiccup's voice?_ I thought. _"You dial me by accident?" _Hiccup asked now. _Oops…_ I sighed as I located my phone and saw that I had indeed called my fiancé by accident. I bent forward to get the phone and set it to my ear.

"Hi, Hic. Yeah, I did…Sorry. I was rushing and must have hit the call button," I informed.

"_No problem. I don't mind hearing from you for a few minutes. We're moving to the mess hall right now, so I can talk. How's your morning going, since I didn't see you before I left,"_ Hiccup inquired.

"It's not going so great," I admitted.

"_What's wrong?"_ Hiccup asked.

"I think I'm getting sick again," I revealed.

"_Not feeling so hot?"_ Hiccup questioned.

"Aside from that; I just threw up three times…That's why I called you by accident in the middle of replying to your text; I felt like I was gonna puke and rushed to the bathroom and then proceeded to vomit a few times. I'm still sitting in the bathroom, waiting for the nausea to pass," Astrid enlightened gently.

"_Have you eaten breakfast yet? Something in the past reminded me that you'd get sick if you didn't eat,"_ Hiccup wondered.

"I did have breakfast, babe. One of the sausage, egg, and cheese sandwiches," I said.

"_You running a fever? Anything else bothering you?"_ Hiccup asked.

"No, nothing like that. Just the nausea," I replied.

"_I guess we'll have to see where it goes. I gotta go for now, Milady. Keep me posted on how you feel, and I'll see you tonight. I love you,"_ Hiccup stated.

"I will, and love you too. See you tonight, babe," the call ended as I set the phone down. I really hoped I wasn't getting sick; I was sick before the vacation, and I just took a whole week off. I couldn't afford to take more time. I'd have to suck it up, a little sickness couldn't beat me, and this was random; maybe the sandwich didn't agree with me? I forced myself up, flushing the toilet and then brushing my teeth. I exited the bathroom and returned to sit on the couch. I only had a bit more time until I needed to leave for work; I'd use it to relax a bit and then get through my day.

**. . .**

_[Sunday, 10/23/2022; 9:00 am]_

I didn't know what was wrong with me, but for two weeks I've been on and off sick. The worst part; it happens at random. Here I am again, sitting on the bathroom floor after throwing up twice.

"Babe," I hear Hiccup say after knocking on the door to the master bathroom. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I said.

"I feel like you're not," Hiccup stated. "Can I come in?"

"It's your house…" I groaned, trying not to throw up again.

"It's our house, and I'm not just gonna barge in on you, Milady," Hiccup informed, walking through the door. "This has been going on a couple weeks now, Ast. I know you hate doing it, but I think you should see a doctor," he suggested. I really didn't want to; I hated going to the doctors for things I could handle on my own, but I suppose in fairness…I wasn't sure what was going on with me.

"Alright…I'll make an appointment for sometime this coming week…" I agreed. Hiccup kissed my forehead.

"Thank you. Let me know when, and how it goes, alright?" Hiccup asked.

"I will," I nodded.

**. . .**

_[Wednesday, 10/26/2022; 4:30 pm]_  
_[Isle of Berk; Primary Care]_

I called Monday morning and took the first available appointment they had, and the latest slot so I wouldn't have to miss work. I hoped this was nothing, and maybe I was just stressing out, which was making me worse. Hiccup was still at work; I know he's getting ready for another drill weekend. We'd likely be getting home around the same time. I arrived at the office on time and signed in; I checked all my paperwork to make sure it was correct since I hadn't been in a while; the only doctor I saw regularly was my Gynecologist for yearly exams. I had to update insurance and address, but everything else was basically the same. Now, I was just waiting to be seen and thankfully, the nausea wasn't acting up.

"Astrid?" came the voice of the nurse. I stood up and walked over as she smiled at me. The usual stuff took place, getting height and weight, good to know I hadn't changed much. I did gain a bit of weight from the last time I weighed myself, which was after vacation with Hiccup. We ate a lot of food, but no big deal on the gain. I was sure it could be stress or inactivity, and I can take it off no problem. After the basics were done; the nurse took me to a room on the right side and let me in. I got on the table and we started going through the standard questions. "Well, it's been a while since we've seen you," the nurse said after taking her seat and logging into the computer.

"I rarely get sick enough to have to come," I admitted.

"Alright. Let's run through these real quick. Do you drink or smoke?" the woman, Elisa, asked.

"Casual, light drinker and no to smoking," I replied.

"Good, good," Elisa smiled. "Any medications?"

"Birth control pills," I said. It went on and on since I hadn't been here in a while.

"And last one," Elisa informed. "When was your last menstrual cycle?"

The question made me stall. _When was my last period?_ I thought. Suddenly, it dawned on me that I don't recall getting it this month. I got it before the camping trip; I remember that because I had it while helping Hiccup move into his house and mentioned being really tired and starting my cycle. That was right before I got sick for a couple days. But I couldn't recall getting it here in October. I bit my lower lip nervously. "Se-September 13th through the 17th,"

Elisa's eye flicked over to me. "September? Nothing in October?" I shook my head.

"I-I went on vacation from the 24th to the 2nd, and have been working a lot. I-I didn't even notice until now," I confessed.

"Your records show you've always had a regular period, and birth control pills would ensure that it stayed regular…" Elisa stated. I was steadily becoming more nervous and realizing what might be the reason I'm sick. "Astrid…Is there a chance you could be pregnant?"

I knew that question only got asked if there was a chance. If I missed a period, that chance was there, so it would raise the question. "M-Maybe?" I responded. "I didn't consider that to be the reason I was sick. I-I use birth control, and my fiancé uses condoms; we're extremely careful about safe sex,"

"And even the most protected can still get pregnant, but let's not call it pregnancy just yet. It could be stress, you mentioned being very busy. Wait here, and when the doctor comes in; I'm sure she'll do a test to see," Elisa assured. I nodded, trying to stay calm. Elisa left and closed the door as I sat on the table.

_Gods…What if I am?_ I asked myself. I suddenly began to panic about what Hiccup would think or say. Yeah, we were engaged and would have eventually started a family, but now? We had only just gotten betrothed, and doing all the wedding stuff. _Should I message him now?_ No. I would wait until I knew for sure, and then I'd tell him face to face. Hiccup and I never had communication problems, and I knew I could tell him anything; we would figure it out. I took a deep breath; I needed to calm down until I knew. Some minutes passed before there was a knock on the door. "Come in," I said. The door opened revealing my doctor.

"Afternoon, Astrid. It's so good to see you again," the woman, Jannike Fredricksen, greeted.

"H-Hi, Doctor Fredricksen," I smiled some.

"I see that we're a bit nervous and anxious right now, so let's just get right to it. I'm going to send you into the restroom to give me a urine sample, and we'll do an office test for pregnancy. Once we have those results, we'll go from there, alright?" Jannike informed. I nodded, feeling it was all I could do. The nurse handed me a clear plastic up with a black lid and led me down the hall into the bathroom.

"Just lid it up and leave it in the basket when you're done," Elisa smiled. I nodded, and then I locked the door. I did my business quick, left the covered cup in the basket and washed my hands after flushing. I left the bathroom and returned to my exam room. I sat on the table, twiddling my fingers a bit. I got a message on my phone and checked it.

_**Hiccup, 4:45 pm  
Hey, babe. Finished work, heading home. Will I see you there? :)**_

_4:46 pm  
Still at doc's office. Guess there was a bit of a wait. In room and should be finishing up soon. Love you._

_**4:48 pm  
Alright, see you at home. Love you too, Milady.**_

I set my phone into my pocket and took a deep breath. After five minutes, Jannike returned with Elisa. I tensed, but tried to stay relaxed. "S-So what's the verdict?" I asked.

"Well, Astrid; it seems you are indeed pregnant," Jannike informed.

"I-I'm pregnant?" I asked, making sure I heard right.

"You are," Jannike nodded.

I took a shaky breath. "H-How far along am I? What…Happens now?" I asked.

"Given the time of your last menstrual cycle, which you said was September 13th and knowing you have a very regular schedule when it comes to periods; you ovulated on September 26th, meaning that you are right now…Six weeks and three days along. About a month and a half pregnant," Jannike stated. "First, you will need to stop taking your birth control pills. I will write you a prescription for prenatal vitamins to take with you when you leave today. Secondly; we will need to get you sent to ultrasound to check measurements, heartbeat, and placement,"

"Will you be staying my doctor?" I inquired.

"I can if you like; I'm an approved Obstetrician as well as a Pediatrician and Primary Care Physician," Jannike mentioned.

"Please, yes," I replied. I'd had Doctor Fredricksen since I was five years old; I trusted her as my doctor for all this.

"We'll set those appointments when you leave," Jannike smiled.

"How often will I see you while pregnant? Do I need to bring my fiancé? I'm sorry; this is all new to me despite have CNA training," I tried to stay relaxed.

"It's quite alright, Astrid," Jannike said. "You will see me every four to six weeks until you are twenty-eight weeks. Follow that is every two to three weeks until you are thirty-seven weeks, and then until you give birth after that is once a week unless I feel I need to see you sooner to monitor things. You're more than welcome to bring the baby's father; we'll be needing some family history with pregnancies on both sides to make sure yours doesn't run into any issues without us being aware as to a cause," she added.

"Alright," I nodded to her.

"Excellent. I think that wraps up this appointment. Here is your prescription for prenatals, and this is the sheet to give to the receptionist. I'll see you soon," Jannike put a hand on my shoulder before leaving with Elisa. I took a few breaths, my hands going to my belly. I was pregnant with Hiccup's baby. And now I needed to tell him; this couldn't be put off especially with me being two weeks away from two months along. I just really hoped he wouldn't be upset.

**. . .**

_[5:30 pm]  
[Hiccup & Astrid's Home]_

Leaving the doctor's office after making my two appointments for another check with Dr. Fredricksen and the first sonogram; I headed to the pharmacy to get the prenatal vitamins. Now, I'm back home. I parked the car and got out, heading for the main door.

"Hi, babe. Welcome home," Hiccup greeted from the kitchen.

"Hi," I replied.

"I'm just finishing up dinner; I made spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread. Should be done in about five minutes," Hiccup informed.

"Sounds great; I'm starving," I said. I set my things down where they always went before going to the bedroom to kick off my shoes and changed out of my vet clothes. "I'm gonna take a quick rinse," I called while moving into the bathroom. I took my shower and then came out a few minutes later in something comfortable. I wasn't going anywhere else tonight, so might as well get ready for the rest of the night in the house. I went into the kitchen/dining area to see Hiccup had set everyone out and was waiting for me.

"I've missed you," Hiccup smiled, kissing me after wrapping his arms around my figure.

"Missed you too," I said as we went to the table to sit down.

"How was work?" Hiccup wondered as he pulled my chair out for me and then got me a plate of food.

"Average. Some normal checkups, one or two surgeries, loads of paperwork," I responded as Hiccup went to get me a glass of wine. We usually always had something alcoholic with dinner, but never heavy; just to wind down from a long day. "Oh, no wine, babe…Water, please?" Hiccup got me glass of ice water while he got himself a bottle of beer before coming to sit down across from me and get his food. I'm still trying to decide how to tell him the news. Over dinner, or wait until after? "How was your day?"

"Training, training, cleaning, inventory, moving some stuff. Usual," Hiccup shrugged. "How are you feeling? How did the appointment go?"

I guess that was my cue to tell him. "It was…Informative," I started.

"Yeah? They figure out what was making you sick?" Hiccup inquired while going to take a bite of his food.

"They did," I said.

"Do tell?" Hiccup chuckled. "Everything alright? You're being real cryptic, Milady,"

Here goes nothing. "I'm pregnant," The moment the words left my mouth; the fork in Hiccup's hand dropped back down to the plate as his head snapped up in my direction with wide eyes and a shock expression._  
_


	32. Chapter 32

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**32.**

_=Hiccup's POV=  
[Wednesday, 10/26/2022-5:45 pm]  
[Isle of Berk; Astrid & Hiccup's Home]_

I was happy to get home and have dinner with my fiancé after a long workday. I should be used to it after eight years in the military, but I guess sometimes the workload still surprised me. Regardless, getting home and hearing Astrid was with her doctor still; I decided to make supper for us and went with something easy. I really hoped Astrid found out what was making her so sick; I didn't like seeing her miserable with this on and off again illness. However, sitting down to eat and asking the question of how things went at the doctor's office; I was not expecting the two words that came out of Astrid's mouth.

_I'm Pregnant._

She was pregnant?! That's why she was sick? I sat there, completely stunned at the news and trying to process things. I understood what being pregnant meant; she was carrying my baby in her stomach. But wow, the news still hit me like a pile of bricks. I needed to relax; she's probably just as panicked and I am. I suppose panic is the wrong word; shocked is better. It had been silent between us for about five minutes. I had to say something.

"You're…Pregnant?" I asked. Astrid nodded her head. "And you…Found this out today?"

"Yeah…At the office," Astrid replied softly.

"Did it…Just come up in standard testing? As…Far as I know they don't do pregnancy tests unless there is a suspected pregnancy?" I stated.

"It became suspected when it suddenly dawned on me that I didn't get my period this month…I got it in September, before the trip, but not here in October. I would have been due for it on the 13th. And because I was sick and busy working; it didn't even process to me that I didn't get it," Astrid admitted.

"Alright…So, like…What happened? I want to know everything," I told her calmly. "Eat too, of course," I added.

We each took a few bites, not wanting the meal to get cold while we talked about this shocking, and obviously, serious matter. "Well, it started when I was just in with the nurse, going over all basic information. You know; smoker, drinker, activity, etc.," Astrid started. "She asked me when my last period was, and it took me a bit to answer because I realized that I didn't get it in October. I gave her the one I knew I got, September 13th to the 17th. She asked about October, and I said I didn't recall getting it at all and then it rose that suspected question of; _is there a chance you could be pregnant?_ I went with the honest answer of maybe," she took a drink of water.

And now it made a lot of sense why she wanted water over wine. "And then they did the test and it came up positive?" I inquired.

"Something like that if we're going with short versions. It was just a urine test in the office; I have an appointment for sonogram confirmation, measuring, placement, and checking other things," Astrid replied.

"When is it? I'd like to go," I questioned.

"Uh…Monday, the 31st at 1:30 pm. I tried to get it at late as possible, but that's all they had available for the next two weeks," Astrid informed.

"I'm sure I can get Bludvist to let me leave at 1 pm so I can go too. Uh…Was there anything else? Like…When did this happen? How far along are you? Or do they not know until sonogram?" I looked at her as she was spinning some spaghetti on her fork to take a bite.

"Yeah, there was a bit more. They took the first day of my last period to figure out how far along I am; I guess I'm six weeks and three days along. On the 30th, I'll be seven," Astrid informed. "I also already have the prenatal vitamins too. Was told to stop taking birth control right away and switch to the vitamins,"

"Figures. And six weeks…That…Means you're almost two months, right?" I asked. Astrid nodded to confirm my inquiry.

"They say I ovulated, or released my egg on the 26th of September, and that's where I guess the conception happened," Astrid mentioned.

"Wow…" I blinked, realizing the irony in that date.

"What?" Astrid looked at me.

"First time we have sex in eight years and somehow two forms of birth control fail…" I couldn't help but smile and laugh a little. "Talk about ironic,"

"Yeah," Astrid laughed a little too. "I guess it is a bit funny, so…You're not mad?"

"Mad? Why would I be mad?" I arched a brow.

"Because we just got engaged, planning the wedding…Now I'm almost two months pregnant?" Astrid stated.

"Well, I mean…Getting married kind of includes at some point having a family, babe. I don't mind it being earlier than we would have planned it. If we got engaged and married eight years ago; we'd probably already have two kids, maybe going on a third. So no, this doesn't bother me at all. It's one of the reasons I made sure we had a decent-sized house; for the sake of adding more to it," I reminded gently.

"Hiccup, this means I'll give birth right around the date we set for the wedding. How is that gonna work?" Astrid wondered.

"We'll figure it all out, don't stress so much. For now, let's just wait for the sonogram and get an expected due date; we can handle the other stuff after that, okay?" I assured.

"Alright, I'm sorry…Just…Wasn't' expecting this," Astrid confessed.

"Neither was I, Milady, but it's happening, so we might as well roll with it," I smiled. "Everything is gonna be fine, I promise. And don't I always come through on those?"

"Yes, you do," Astrid smiled back. "I suppose, surprise or not; I'm happy about it. Are we going to tell our family and friends?"

"In due time, love. Let's get all the information first and we'll tell everyone together. I got drill weekend coming up, so maybe we can do it Sunday night when I get back from that around 5 or 6 pm," I said. "Now, let's enjoy dinner and then the rest of our night," Astrid nodded as we continued eating supper and chatting a bit. Yeah, this was unexpected, but it would be fine. I was actually really happy about this! Astrid was pregnant with our first child and in basically seven months; we'd be parents to a little boy or girl.

**. . .**

_[Sunday, 11/6/2022-6 pm]_

The visit to the sonogram office was interesting, but exciting. We went over all the information, and then did the ultrasound itself. We got to see our baby and hear his or hear heartbeat; we got it recorded on my phone and a couple of the printouts. Astrid was marked at seven weeks and one day along that day, and we were given the estimated due date of, wouldn't you know it, June 18th. The very _day_ after we were supposed to get married. I thought it was comical how that worked out, but regardless we'd figure things out. I went through my drill weekend, but we arranged beforehand that everyone was coming over for dinner tonight. Astrid and I were going to tell everyone that we're expecting a baby; I'm sure no one was gonna fuss over it.

"Babe!" I called. "I'm home," I walked in the door to see my parents, Gobber, Astrid's parents and most of our friends except for Dagur, Thuggory, and Eret, who arrived when I did.

"Hey, handsome," Astrid walked over to greet me with a hug and kiss. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her back passionately. "How was drill?"

"Exhausting," Dagur mumbled going over to greet his twins and wife, then his sister.

"Oh, stop; it wasn't that bad," I rolled my eyes.

"Tell your fiancé not to be such a drill sergeant!" Thuggory and Eret remarked together.

"How are you not hurting?!" Dagur asked.

"I'm in a good mood," I replied casually.

"What we dealt with the last three days was your _good _mood?" Eret inquired.

"Yep, and if you don't stop bitching; I'll use December's drill to show you my bad mood," I warned.

"Babe, what did you do to them?" Astrid chuckled.

"Just a friendly training exercise in the woods…" I said.

"Friendly my ass," the three huffed.

"You had us captured!" Eret yelled.

"Made us escape, and then find our way back to base without weapons or gear!" Dagur added.

"Under fire of enemies!" Thuggory joined in.

"I trained you to survive a bad situation," I narrowed my eyes. "Call it harsh, call it aggravating, annoying, or dangerous…But it's a reality you should be ready for in war, so that is what I decided was your training this weekend. And we're gonna do it again until you get it right because if that happened while deployed; all of you would be dead,"

"Hiccup, things have never gotten that bad for us. We've been close, but you bailed us out," Dagur argued.

"And what happens the time you don't have me to save your asses?" I countered as they were quiet. "As unexpected as the chances can be; it CAN happen. I put you through this because I've been in that situation before, and I wanted to make sure you'd survive it,"

"What you talking about?" Eret stared.

"You've never been captured or stranded before," Thuggory pointed out.

"Not with you guys, but with my special ops team…Yeah, actually; I have been captured and had to escape and get back to base while evading or fighting enemies in the process," I informed.

"Why weren't we told about this? When did you get captured?!" Dagur demanded.

"Second and third tours. I can't tell you what the missions were, or any major details," I revealed. "Bludvist asked me what my training plan was for this weekend and I decided that I would pick something that should be practiced as a just in case scenario. Bludvist approved of it, agreeing that it would be good to have that training,"

"It makes me wonder how many other life-threatening situations you've been in that we don't know about," Eret mumbled.

"I dunno…Probably a number somewhere in the twenties?" I shrugged calmly. "Now…We're gonna drop this because as much as you're not supposed to know; they really aren't supposed to and it's my ass if HQ finds out I told you. Secondly…I'm gonna go change, and then we'll eat. Understood?"

"Aye, Lieutenant Haddock," Eret, Thuggory, and Dagur nodded. I kissed Astrid's forehead and headed to the bedroom.

"I kind hate that he's special ops…" Thuggory said.

"He could get killed and we wouldn't know, or be told it was an accident…" Dagur said.

"GUYS! I said drop it!" I yelled from the room. "Or you will drop and give me fifty right now!"

"SORRY!" the three said quickly. I quickly used the bathroom and changed clothes before joining the others again.

"Should we tell them before dinner?" Astrid whispered to me once she was at my side.

"Your call, Milady," I replied gently.

"I say we get it over with," Astrid stated.

"Whatever you want, babe. Do you want me to make the announcement?" I asked.

"How are we doing it? Just…Out right?" Astrid inquired.

"Might as well," I nodded.

"Your lead then," Astrid smiled.

"What's going on you two?" Valka wondered.

"So…There's a reason we wanted everyone over. Mainly to celebrate," I started gently as I moved Astrid in front of me, my arms around her waist. "Astrid's pregnant,"

"WHAT!?" the room shouted in shock and disbelief. Astrid and I laughed a little.

"You're serious?" Snotlout said. "See I called it!"

"I wasn't pregnant when you called it, Muttonhead! I just found out," Astrid remarked to him with a huff.

"Easy, Milady," I soothed as she relaxed against me.

"When…Did all this happen?" Asvora questioned.

"You just claimed at the house-warming party that you haven't even had sex," Stoick stated instantly.

"We hadn't, at that point. But we did make love while on vacation, and apparently that one time is the one that did it," I laughed a bit.

"Haven't we told you two to use protection!" Calder stood up.

"Dad, sit down," Astrid rolled her eyes. "First off, we're twenty-six-years-old. Secondly, we're engaged. Third, we live together. And last of all, we had two forms of protection,"

"Both of them failed," I added into Astrid's reply to her dad. "Astrid and I were just as shocked when we found out, but after talking about everything and realizing that our lives aren't exactly in a bad spot to have children; we're happy about it and can't wait,"

"Well, if you're happy about it, we are for you," Adelaide smiled. "Mine and Tuff's baby will have a playmate," she giggled.

"How far along are you?" Minden smiled happily.

"Today, I'm two months," Astrid informed.

"I'm was three months on Friday," Adelaide said.

"So our kids will be a month apart," I chuckled. "Nice,"

"Do you two plan to find out the gender?" Heather wondered.

"Haven't decided yet, that's not until week twenty, is it not? So we got like three months until then," Astrid replied. "I'm all for it being a surprise,"

"Whatever you want, babe. But I get to set up the nursery; you will not be lifting anything. You can call paint colors and where you want stuff," I mentioned.

"Yes, almighty ruler of the house," Astrid rolled her eyes.

"I prefer man of the house, thank you," I remarked as Astrid snuggled against me.

"So…Out of curiosity here…" Gobber started. "When is she due?"

"Oh, funny thing about that. She's due the day after the wedding," I chuckled some.

"So what's gonna happen with all the plans?" Mala wondered now.

"We're still working on that. We're thinking of either bumping the wedding up before she's due, or moving it down to after. It's Ast's call if she wants to get married while pregnant, or not," I enlightened.

"For now, we're keeping the 17th, and we'll adjust based on the pregnancy. Hiccup said we could just do it in the backyard if we can't get Meade Hall last minute. There's no way to judge when I'll give birth until it's closer," Astrid informed calmly. "We'll keep you posted," she added.

"Now…I think we should all go have dinner," I suggested. "We can continue talking about this over the meal,"

Not arguing with the idea; everyone got up and moved into the dining room. Astrid and I set out the food on the center island to serve buffet-style; we went first and then everyone else joined in. We sat down at the table ten minutes later and began to eat while still talking about pregnancy, or how other aspects of life were going for everyone. Around 8:00 pm; everyone left to get home and Astrid I me decided to watch a movie in the bedroom once everything was cleaned up, and around 10:30 pm; we both laid down to get some sleep as we had work tomorrow morning.

"I love you, Hiccup," Astrid said.

"I love you too, Astrid. I'm really excited about us having this baby," I admitted.

"Me too," Astrid smiled as we kissed. "Rest well,"

"You too, Milady. Sweet dreams. Night," I replied as we cuddled up and soon knocked out.


	33. Chapter 33

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**33.**

_=Normal POV=  
[Friday, 2/24/2023-6:30 pm]  
[Isle of Berk; Haddock Household]_

Time was flying by for everyone since the announcement that Hiccup and Astrid were expecting their first child together. It was a shock at first, but evolved into nothing but joy. Everyone's lives were going well too. Tuffnut and Adelaide were now engaged, living together, and planned to get married after the birth of their first child in three months; they were having a boy. Minden and Snotlout were engaged as well; Snotlout proposed over Snoggletog and planning to get married in December 2023 and they were now living together. Eret and Ruffnut were doing great in their relationship, so was Camicazi and Eret. Fishlegs and Heather were also doing well in theirs. Mala and Dagur were expecting a third child in seven months; the twins, Magne and Dagny were very excited and had just turned six. Stoick and Valka were still happily married, as were Asvora and Calder; both sets of parents were anxious for the welcoming of their first grandchild now due in four months. Hiccup and Astrid were still planning their wedding for June 2023 and Astrid is twenty-three weeks and four days along. Things were going fantastically for everyone.

Today; everyone planned a surprise party for Hiccup's twenty-seventh birthday. And unfortunately; the guest of honor was the one super behind. Hiccup was supposed to get out of work at 4 pm with Dagur, Eret, and Thuggory, but they revealed upon arriving that Hiccup had to stay on base and didn't receive a reason as to why. Astrid had been trying to text him, but Hiccup wasn't answering, so everyone was just sitting around inside the Haddock Household, waiting to see if they'd get even a little time with Hiccup for his party. Astrid's gift was revealing the gender to everyone, but mainly Hiccup because she knew how much he wanted to know if they were having a boy or girl.

"Well, this is a bust," Tuffnut said.

"Tuffnut!" Adelaide muttered.

"It was supposed to start at 4:30…" Snotlout said.

Dagur sighed as he got his phone and dialed a number before putting it to his ear. "Who are you calling?" Eret asked.

"Base," Dagur put a finger to his lips as they stayed quiet and then he tapped speakerphone.

"_Berk Military Base," _said a male voice.

"Second Lieutenant Hiccup Haddock's office, please?" Dagur asked.

"_May I inquire as to who is calling?"_ the male said.

"Sergeant First Class Dagur Bazirk," Dagur replied.

"_One moment,"_ the male set Dagur on hold. After a minute, there was a click.

"_Yes, Dagur?"_ came Hiccup's voice, though he didn't sound any kind of pleased.

"When are you getting off?" Dagur asked.

"_Fuck if I know," _Hiccup remarked. _"I've been stuck here since midnight,"_

"What do you mean you've been there since midnight?" Astrid demanded.

"_I got called to come in, so this is where I've been since," _Hiccup informed.

"Whatever would you be needed at that hour for?" Dagur inquired now.

"_I don't know. I get called and I do what I'm told. For right now; I'm suck here,"_ Hiccup said.

"Hiccup, you've been there for sixteen hours. It's too much work for one day," Dagur stated.

"_I'm fine; I've done worse shifts on tour,"_ Hiccup replied.

"Yeah," Thuggory scoffed.

"And you end up passing out!" Dagur argued.

"The amount of times we've had to rush you to the medic both on base or overseas…" Eret interjected.

"_Oh, come off it. That only happened a couple times…Look, there's nothing I can do about this. I just do what I'm told. And so far-," _Hiccup stopped.

"Hiccup, anything over fourteen hours puts you in that position. Don't argue with us; we know you better than you know yourself sometimes; you need a break. Tell Bludvist you need a break before you knock out," Dagur said.

"_I can't just do that, Dag. Now, I gotta go because the only reason I was allowed out of the meeting is that Bludvist knows I have an expecting wife at home and thought there was an emergency,"_ Hiccup said.

"You aren't married yet," Gobber muttered.

"_I heard that, Gobber. And I know what I said," _Hiccup huffed. _"Yes, Lieutenant Hunters?"_ he suddenly said.

"_Bludvist wants you back in the office," _came Krogan's voice.

"_Of course he fucking does,"_ Hiccup groaned. _"I'm working on it. Tell him not to get his panties in a wad,"_

"_I heard that, Haddock!"_ Drago yelled. Hiccup sighed.

"_Sorry, Captain,"_ Hiccup replied calmly.

"_I was only going to tell you that you can head home now,"_ Drago stated. _"I apologize for having you here so long, but this was a matter of importance that needed to be handled,"_

"_I understand, sir,"_ Hiccup said. _"See you Monday," _a pause. _"I'll be there in fifteen,"_ and then he hung up.

"Why would they have him there for such unreasonable hours?" Valka asked.

"The only thing I can think of is that there might have been a mobilization alert," Eret shrugged.

"What's that?" Ruffnut inquired.

"Deployment orders," Gobber informed. "Mobilization alert means that deployment orders may get issued, and there's usually a not-so-fun process to finding out if, and then if so, who is going, when, and for how long," he added.

"Gods…I hope we're not getting deployed again," Thuggory mumbled.

"Might not even be for us. If it were a company thing; we'd all have gotten called in to sit on standby…" Dagur reminded.

"So you think that this could be just Haddock?" Eret looked at him.

"Hiccup is special ops, and he leads one of the top teams; highly recommended. It's very possible that just Hiccup deploys with them if there's a top priority mission to be handled under a time constraint," Dagur informed.

"I doubt he's gonna tell us," Astrid mumbled.

"It's not that he won't; he can't. Some of the missions he runs, Astrid; they are matters of Archipelago Islands Security. Means it's classified to certain, cleared, parties. Not even we know about them; just that he does stuff like that," Thuggory told her.

"He could get in serious trouble for even hinting at it, like discharged from the military and jail time levels of serious," Eret added. The others nodded, understand how severe this kind of stuff was.

"I guess we wait for him?" Fishlegs wondered.

"Well, we lost a lot of time, but yeah; it doesn't have to be long," Valka said. "Let's get the food set up; I'm sure he'll be hungry,"

Fifteen minutes passed as Hiccup pulled in the driveway of his parents' home and made his way to the door. Hiccup opened it and walked through to see everyone around, but he expected that because of the phone call where he heard other voices. Originally, he thought it was just supposed to be a dinner at his parents' house; seeing all this confirmed that they were trying to throw him a birthday party.

"Hi, babe," Astrid was up first to hug and kiss him.

"Hey, gorgeous," Hiccup replied and then rubbed her belly a bit; she'd definitely popped around four months. Hiccup felt their baby kick and he smiled. "So, what's all this?"

"It was a surprise party for you, but since you weren't off work until now; we got concerned if everything was okay. So Dagur called the base to make sure you were alright," Thuggory informed calmly.

"Is…Everything okay?" Astrid decided to asked.

"Except for the extreme exhaustion, yeah," Hiccup nodded.

"Well, we won't take up too much more of your time," Stoick chuckled.

"I'm good with being up for a bit; I actually slept a lot on base waiting," Hiccup said.

"So…No deploying, right?" Dagur pushed.

"What? No. Well…That's what it was for, but not us. Almost us, but ended up being Conqueror Company," Hiccup assured.

"Thank Odin," the three soldiers sighed in relief.

"You three realize that the reason our tour ended early is because the special ops teams worked overtime to invade and capture head base leaders, right?" Hiccup arched a brow.

"Wait, what?" they asked.

"What do you think all those recons and contact missions were for that we did?" Hiccup stated.

"General purpose?" Thuggory replied.

"Nope, all that information went into special ops objectives. Tour ended early because special operations started taking the brunt of dealing with enemy bases, breaking in and taking control of them by removing leaders," Hiccup informed.

"We were ridiculously busy on the third tour," Eret nodded. "So all that stuff we did; it was helping you and the other special ops soldiers to effectively take control and give us the lead in the war?"

"You got it," Hiccup confirmed. "The groups with special ops soldiers in them earned a long break, or so I was told by my CO for special operations stuff. Why do you think our second and third tours were spread out over a couple years? Second tour ended November 2018, we didn't get deployed again until April 2021," he chuckled.

"Are you allowed to tell us this?" Dagur wondered.

"If I wasn't, do you think I would be telling you?" Hiccup asked.

"Good point," the three agreed.

"Anyway…Is there food, because I'm starving?" Hiccup inquired.

"Of course. All your favorites," Astrid giggled. "Want me to make you a plate so you can relax?"

"You're the pregnant one, I can get mine, babe. You sit and I'll get yours too," Hiccup offered.

"It's your birthday," Astrid pouted.

"And the greatest gift is just spending it all with you. Also, if I sit down; I'm knocking out, so let me stay active," Hiccup smiled. "Sit, Milady,"

"Fine, fine," Astrid sat back down as Hiccup went to get a plate for himself and his fiancé. Tuffnut had the same idea since Adelaide stayed in the living room with Astrid. Once everyone had something to eat, and was sitting down; they began to feed. Hiccup remained standing against the wall where Astrid was sitting on the couch.

"How's the baby? You had an appointment today, didn't you?" Hiccup asked her. "Sorry I missed it,"

"It was nothing special, babe; just a checkup," Astrid smiled. "Everything is going great and right on schedule," she added.

"Good to know. When is the next sonogram?" Hiccup wondered.

"Uh…I don't think we have anymore set. Doctor Fredricksen said they don't do them outside of scheduled ones unless they think something could be wrong. Our last one was at twenty weeks, anatomy scan or whatever," Astrid informed.

"I was told the same, but ended up getting one after that twenty-week because my doctor said the baby was measuring bigger than where he should be," Adelaide stated. "All is fine and still on track for May 21st," she smiled.

"Well, that's good to know then," Hiccup remarked while eating a few of his chips. In the moments of silence, since everyone was still eating; someone's phone rang. Hiccup reached into his pocket and checked to see if it was him. It was. "Lieutenant Haddock here," he answered, putting it to his ear. "Evening to you as well, Major Anderson," Hiccup suddenly set his plate down and got off the wall.

"Major Anderson?" Dagur asked.

Hiccup put a finger to his lips for him to be quiet. "No, I'm not alone right now, sir. You aren't on speakerphone, but hang on; I'll step out," he added before opening the door and going outside.

"Who is Major Anderson?" Astrid asked.

"He's Hiccup's Special Operations Commanding Officer," Dagur informed. "Which means that call can't be anything good, especially if he had to step out outside so we couldn't hear," the others stayed quiet, but still eating and engaging in light conversation for about ten minutes until Hiccup came back inside, phone still at his ear.

"If you can't accept my terms, then find yourself someone else to do it, Major," Hiccup remarked firmly. "I wasn't threatening you, sir; it was a promise. If you can't accommodate me when you're asking me to go out and basically run a suicide mission; then I'll resign all command from Special Operations work and you can find someone else who is willing to go out there die for no reason because central command doesn't want to spend a little extra time on doing thing the effective and safe way," he stated.

"Hiccup, you can't say that to a CO; you're in line to get court marshaled for it!" Eret exclaimed.

"Shut it, Trapp," Hiccup glared. "Look, Major Anderson. I'm happy to go out with Elite Alpha Strike and do the mission you're asking of me, but you started the request with asking _can you and your team handle _yaddie, yadda, yadda because mixed company around. I'm telling you that what you are asking as written in the file as an objective is a suicide mission without the accommodations I requested. Is it so time constricting that that you would needlessly risk the lives of the soldiers involved? I'm personally not looking to die just yet, and I won't go out because HQ wants to rush this without proper preparation. Why don't you go work that out with whoever you need to, and get back to me. I'll be back in the office on Monday if they'd like to have a meeting and I'll say it to their faces," he informed. "I'll see you Monday then, and yes 0900 works for me," he ended the call.

"You know you could get in trouble for talking back like that, lad," Gobber pointed out.

"So be it. I was dead serious; I'll resign from being Special Ops and stay just an average soldier for Alpha Company under Bludvist's command. I don't mind doing missions for Special Ops, but I won't go out on something I know is a ticking time bomb for everyone involved to end up badly hurt, captured, or killed. You guys know how I work; I don't needlessly endanger the lives of my troops. If I say it's too dangerous," Hiccup stated.

"We back out or wait for reinforcements," Thuggory nodded. "This mission is something where they just want to throw you in, right?"

"Yep, and without even seeing the file; I know it's a death sentence, so I won't do it unless they agree to what I requested, which will make it slightly more manageable," Hiccup stated. Astrid didn't like how this sounded, and it worried her. "Hey…Don't stress out,"

"I know what I said Hiccup, but this scares the hell out of me," Astrid mumbled.

"I promise everything will be alright," Hiccup smiled, kissing her gently and resting a hand on her belly. "I won't die," he assured.

"Okay, I believe you," Astrid nodded.

"Good, now let's just enjoy the party, okay?" Hiccup suggested as he picked up his plate and continued eating; everyone else smiled and did the same. No matter how much they wanted to know; they got warned Hiccup could get into a lot of trouble for talking about Special Ops-related things, so best not to test that situation. The talking picked up on topics not about the military because they figured Hiccup wouldn't want to discuss anything work-related right now after his long day and that whole phone call.

The time passed as everything got cleaned up and people continued to sit around and do presents. Hiccup didn't get much except some art stuff, and gift cards, or just cast. However, Astrid was last and she saved hers in the form of a cupcake, which would reveal the gender of their baby when he bit into. "Well, I guess I get to go last," Astrid brought him the cupcake.

"What are we, kids, and in elementary school again? You always do this for my birthday, you know that?" Hiccup smiled.

"Oh, shut up and eat it," Astrid giggled.

"You always get him a cupcake for his birthday?" Heather inquired.

"Little running joke between us. Hiccup always hated his birthday when he was younger because the 29th doesn't come every year. So, honestly, a lot of people used to forget. When we were younger and I saw him looking all down we split the cupcake I had in my lunch and I told him happy birthday. So now, every year; I give him one,"

"And we always share it," Hiccup broke the cupcake in half, handing her the other piece, and then as he went to bite into it; he saw that there was pink in the middle.

"What's wrong, babe?" Astrid inquired casually.

"You trying to tell me something?" Hiccup showed her the center of the cake. "It's so not my color,"

"Perhaps not, but usually blue represent boys and pink-," Adelaide hinted.

Hiccup's eyes widened a bit. "Wait a sec. Is…This your way of telling me we're having a girl?!" he exclaimed.

"Surprise," Astrid smiled.

"Really?!" Hiccup asked again as Astrid nodded to him, loving the reaction her fiancé gave her. "Wait, I thought you didn't want to know?"

"Changed my mind," Astrid shrugged. "Happy much?"

"YES!" Hiccup hugged and kissed her. Astrid returned both gestures as they separated. "Does this mean we start looking through names now because I had one in mind,"

"Alright, let's hear it," Astrid invited.

"Zephyr," Hiccup said.

"Oh, my Gods, I love that!" Astrid said happily. "We're keeping it. What was your choice if we were having a boy?"

"Nuffink," Hiccup chuckled.

"Well, when we go to have more kids and end up with a boy; we can use that," Astrid smiled.

"Well, worked out nicely. If we still ran things like in Viking times, the father has the honor of naming all the children," Stoick informed.

"Aye, true that," Calder nodded.

"You enjoy the Viking culture far too much, Dad. It's no wonder my name means _runt of the litter_," Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"Oh, that's not why we named you Hiccup, son," Valka chuckled some. "You were the only baby your father and I managed to carry far enough to survive,"

"Excuse me?" Hiccup blinked.

"Your father and I tried to have children many times, son. Either I wouldn't conceive or end up miscarrying before three months along. You, though, made it to seven months and I went into labor too early," Valka stated.

"You were born and the doctors gave you a very low chance of survival, but we held on anyway as you grew stronger and stronger over three months in the NICU(Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). We got to take you home in…May-ish when you'd finally put on enough weight, and were able to breathe on your own without any machines," Stoick added to the story.

"They named you runt because you were the only one to survive of all the kids they tried to have. Born small; they decided to call you Hiccup," Gobber mentioned.

"Still small," Astrid teased.

"Hush you," Hiccup mumbled.

"Oh, relax, babe," Astrid kissed his cheek. "We're heading home soon, though. I'm tired,"

"I feel you," Adelaide nodded.

"Well, let's finish up and head home then," Hiccup smiled as he sat next to Astrid while they both enjoyed their half of the cupcake. "Thank you for the party, sorry it couldn't go longer,"

"Don't worry about it, son. You and Astrid go home; we'll handle clean up," Valka smiled. Astrid and Hiccup nodded, saying goodbye to everyone and heading out. Astrid originally went with her parents, so going home was easy; she just had to get into Hiccup's car.

**. . .**

_[9:30 pm]  
[Hiccup & Astrid's House]_

The drive wasn't long. Getting into the home, Toothless and Stormfly were let out right away to use the bathroom while Hiccup and Astrid tidied up. Astrid used the restroom and changed first; then Hiccup took a long shower and got ready for bed afterward. When all this was done, and the dogs were back inside; Hiccup locked up the house and joined his future wife in bed. They spent a little time laying there and feeling their daughter move around.

"I love you, Hiccup," Astrid said gently.

"I love you too, Astrid," Hiccup replied. The two snuggled up and soon drifted to sleep knowing that in four months, not only would they become husband and wife, but also welcome their first child into the world. Both were excited, and neither could wait for June to come.


	34. Chapter 34

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**34.**

_=Normal POV=  
[Monday, 5/15/2023-11:30 am]  
[Isle of Berk; Animal Hospital]_

More time had passed since the night of Hiccup's birthday at Stoick and Valka's house where Hiccup and Astrid learned they were having a girl. Turns out that Astrid didn't know early; she just had a bakery fill a single cupcake with blue or pink in the middle, so it came off as a surprise to her as well that they were having a girl. And Astrid fell in love with the name that Hiccup picked; Zephyr Haddock. It meant West Wind, which was nice. Astrid's name meant Divine Beauty. Hiccup's meant Runt, so it was an interesting mix for sure. Everything had been going really well; the only down bit was that Hiccup did end up deploying to Syria for two months to handle the special ops things he had received a call about. The two months was only because it was in Hiccup's terms he requested; needing time to scope out, gather information, and plan the final mission. Hiccup didn't like leaving Astrid that long, and he kept in contact as much as he was able.

Hiccup got back at the start of May, and one of the first things he did was make it known during a phone call to Major Anderson, who called to congratulate Hiccup on a job well done overseas, was that he was not to be _needed_ for anything else due to the fact he was getting married in June, and his soon to be wife would be giving birth very soon. The tone he used was terrifying, but commanding too. Major Anderson assured that Hiccup would not be called on for anything anytime soon. Hiccup also put in some time off requests with Drago for the wedding, honeymoon, and taking care of their baby. Hiccup wanted some time home with his family, and no one argued it. After all, Hiccup did have the vacation time he could take and Astrid would be on maternity leave for three months. Plans for the wedding were still set for them to get married on June 17th.

Astrid didn't care if she got married pregnant or not because her dress was flowy and adjustable. The only thing on debate was the honeymoon, obviously; they wouldn't leave on honeymoon with Astrid due to give birth right after the wedding. If she went early; the time planned now would remain. Both sets of parents were ready to babysit little Zephyr. Everyone else was doing really well too. Adelaide was due to give birth in a week; she was still on track for the 21st, but she and Tuffnut were ready for an early or late situation. Mala is now four months pregnant; the twins are overjoyed to have a new baby brother or sister. Snotlout and Minden kept on their plans for the wedding in December, now officially set for the 16th. The other couples; Camicazi and Thuggory, Eret and Ruffnut, and Heather and Fishlegs were also doing fantastic in their relationships.

Today was just another day in everyone's lives. Everyone was mostly at work, except Adelaide who was on bed rest; her job sort of made her to avoid any accidents with going into labor early. Astrid was enjoying her day, but was a bit more tired than usual and she assumed it was due to it being Monday and the fact she and Hiccup made love the night before just because they could. Officially, Astrid was thirty-five weeks and one day along today. She couldn't wait, five more weeks and she'd be welcoming Zephyr into the world with Hiccup. At the moment, Astrid just finished a checkup with a patient's dog and she was heading to check the next appointment she had before lunch hour where she would talk to Hiccup for a bit since they both usually had the same lunch break together even if they couldn't be face to face; they'd talk on the phone or facetime.

"What's my next appointment?" Astrid smiled, coming up behind the receptionist.

"You have one coming in at 11:45, Doctor Hofferson," the woman smiled. "New patient, a kitten named Sneaky,"

"Thanks," Astrid went to head back to her office to prepare it. However, pain caught her off guard as she gripped the edge of the reception desk. Astrid took a few breaths to breathe through it; she knew false labor pains could happen around this time. Astrid gave herself a minute before preparing to keep going. Not more than three steps later and the pain hit again and she stumbled against the wall for support to stay standing.

"Doctor Hofferson, are you alright?" the receptionist inquired with concern.

"Yes, yes. I'm fine; just lost my footing," Astrid waved it off with a smile. "My daughter is very active today," Astrid went to get off the wall when a gushing sensation went down her legs and manifested into a small puddle on the floor under her. Astrid's eyes widened; her water just broke and she was still five weeks from her due date. "No…" she whispered in disbelief, hoping she was just imagining things, but the pain hit again and she doubled over.

"You are not alright, Astrid," the woman stated firmly.

"M-My water broke…" Astrid informed.

"Oh dear," the woman frowned, helping to ease Astrid into a chair. "Stay right here," she instructed before hurrying down the hall to get one of the other veterinarians. Not more than a minute later; the receptionist returned with Fishlegs, who worked in the same hospital Astrid did.

"I'll take her to the hospital, clear our schedules for the rest of the day, Norna," Fishlegs stated as he went to help Astrid up. "Come on; we'll take my car," he said softly.

"Ne-Need to call Hiccup…" Astrid managed.

"We need to get you to the hospital first, Astrid," Fishlegs countered as he helped outside and into his car. Fishlegs scurried over to the driver's side and got in, buckling himself up and turning the car on and then instantly heading for Berkian Hearts General Hospital.

**. . .**

_[11:45 am]  
[Berkian Hearts General]_

Fishlegs parked instantly near the emergency department and helped Astrid inside; then right to a chair as he moved to the desk. "Hi, my friend's water just broke at work ten minutes ago and she's only…" he paused.

"Thi-Thirty-five we-weeks," Astrid panted.

"Alright, easy," the nurse said, lifting the phone and calling to labor and delivery on the second floor of the hospital. "I have a young woman in the ER waiting area who is thirty-five weeks pregnant and her water just broke ten minutes ago" there was a pause. "No problem, thank you," the nurse set the phone down. "Right this way," he stood up and retrieved a wheelchair and helped Fishlegs get Astrid into it before going over to the elevator. The doors opened revealing a female nurse to meet them.

"Hello there; I'm Nurse Nadia. I'm going to take you up to labor and delivery, alright? Is this the baby's father?" Nadia inquired.

"N-No, but he's a good friend who I'd like to stay with me until my fiancé comes, please?" Astrid asked, not wanting to be alone.

"That's perfectly fine," Nadia nodded as she pushed the wheelchair into the elevator and Fishlegs joined. Soon; they were headed up. The next half hour was a blur to Astrid; she immediately got put in the room she'd deliver in and hooked up to the machines to monitor everything. Evidently, she was half a centimeter dilated already and would be staying until she gave birth. Fishlegs sort of sat on the side, trying to get ahold of Hiccup while Astrid answered questions about the pregnancy. Finally, it was calm around 12:20 pm with Astrid laying there.

"Have you gotten in touch with Hiccup?" Astrid inquired.

"No luck; he may be in a meeting. The phone goes right to voicemail," Fishlegs responded. "I alerted yours and Hiccup's parents, though. All of them are on their way. I didn't tell anyone else yet,"

"Call…Dagur, see if he answers? If that fails, call the base," Astrid suggested.

Fishlegs tried Dagur, and shockingly he answered. "Dagur, hey. It's Fishlegs. Where's Hiccup?"

"_Uh…Right next to me? Why?"_ Dagur replied.

"Can I talk to him, please? It's rather important and about his fiancé," Fishlegs said.

"_Yes, Fishlegs?"_ Hiccup's voice answered.

"You need to get to the hospital, now. Astrid's water broke at work," Fishlegs informed.

"_WHAT?!"_ Hiccup yelled.

"I'll explain later, just get here. We're on the second floor of Berkian Hearts; I'm sitting with her for now. Astrid needs you," Fishlegs stated.

"_I'll be there in ten minutes," _Hiccup handed the phone off, practically announcing that his fiancé's water broke and he had to leave, now.

"_I assume I don't have to tell you to keep me posted?"_ Dagur stated.

"No, sir," Fishlegs nodded.

"_Good,"_ Dagur hung up.

"Hiccup's on his way, he said ten minutes," Fishlegs informed calmly.

"Thanks, Fishlegs. You can tell the others, but I'd make it known that they probably shouldn't come. I think it's only family and baby's father allowed in the room before birth," Astrid panted a little.

"I understand. I'll head out when they get here and keep everyone posted," Fishlegs said.

"Thank you," Astrid smiled to him.

Ten minutes later, on the dot; Hiccup arrived in the room, going right to Astrid's side. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry I didn't answer right away. I was…Stuck in a meeting and only got out just as Dagur got the call from Legs," Hiccup held her hand, kissing her lightly. "What happened? Are you okay? Is the baby okay?" he panicked.

"Hiccup, easy…It's alright," Astrid soothed with her hand on his cheek. "Nothing was done to make this happen; it just did. I'm alright aside from dealing with the pain and worrying if Zeph is okay. So far, contractions are very spread out, but I have started to dilate, and my water broke around 11:35 this morning. I was only walking from my exam room to the desk to ask about the next appointment and it happened,"

"B-But you and Zeph are okay? Y-You're in labor five weeks early…" Hiccup said softly.

"I know, and that's why I'm scared…But I was told to stay calm…So I need you to do the same for me. The heartbeat is strong still, everything looks alright. I'm being watched and checked pretty often. Right now, all we're doing is waiting through this until the time comes to either decide to do a c-section if things start to look bad, or I push at ten centimeters. Baby is faced down…So it's just waiting. It's gonna be a couple hours yet," Astrid informed lightly.

Hiccup took a few breaths, nodding, and feeling a bit better now that he had information on the matter. "Does everyone know?"

"Mmhm. Fishlegs told everyone; our parents are coming soon. I stated the rest should probably wait back because they won't all be allowed in anyway," Astrid nodded.

"I should get going; rules say only the immediate family is allowed in. I sat with her so she wouldn't be alone," Fishlegs stood up.

"Thank you, my friend," Hiccup shook his hand.

"You're welcome," Fishlegs smiled as he gave a light hug to Astrid before heading out of the room. With it being just the two of them now, Hiccup sat down in the available chair to be next to Astrid's bed side.

"I guess our daughter doesn't want to wait," Astrid tried to make light of the semi-serious situation.

"Like I didn't," Hiccup agreed. "I guess I should be grateful you're farther along with her than my mom was with me. Three weeks more is still better than where I was when born. So we're just waiting out the labor to progress?"

"Yeah, that's what the doctor on staff said when she checked me after I got up here. Dr. Fredricksen is coming too; she had a few emergencies on the mainland," Astrid stated lightly.

"No problem; we're not exactly going anywhere," Hiccup said softly, holding her hand.

"I'm having mom pick up my hospital bag, and my stuff from work. I left it all there when my water broke," Astrid mentioned. "You didn't get in trouble for rushing out of work, did you?"

"No, not at all. Bludvist said it was fine and to keep him up to date. We'll discuss the rearrangement of my requested time off after the baby comes," Hiccup assured.

"Good to know," Astrid yawned.

"You should rest up; the labor is probably gonna take a lot out of you," Hiccup suggested. "I'll still be right here; I promise. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else," Astrid smiled as they shared a light kiss and she relaxed, soon dozing off fifteen minutes later. Hiccup just sat there, holding her hand still. Astrid was in labor five weeks early; he only prayed everything would be alright. Hiccup sat back in the chair and closed his eyes; he'd need some rest too to help Astrid through this.

**. . .**

_[9:45 pm]_

The day was long, but Astrid did wonderfully through the, so far, the ten hours of labor. Everything stayed normal with contractions and dilating; Hiccup kept everyone up to date in a group message because it was easier. Stoick, Valka, Calder, and Asvora had come to visit and make sure everything was alright with the soon to be parents. Asvora brought Astrid's hospital bag from her car, and her purse from work. Of course, the two lovers remembered that Hiccup too had a hospital bag in his car for emergencies. The families hung out until visiting hours ended at 8 pm, so it was Hiccup and Astrid for the last hour and a half. Astrid already received the epidural when she was six centimeters dilated, so the pain was more than manageable now.

Astrid was awake with Hiccup; they were chatting about wedding stuff, since it was obvious now that Astrid was having the baby early, when there was a knock. "Come in," Astrid said. The door opened to reveal Dr. Fredricksen. "Hi,"

"Hello, Astrid. How are we doing?" Jannike smiled.

"Doing alright now. Pain meds are working, but I feel some pressure, like an urge to push. I'm hoping that's a good sign?" Astrid replied.

"A very good sign," Jannike nodded. "It means you might be ready to start," she moved over to Astrid while washing her hands in the sink, sanitizing them, and then slipping on the gloves. "Gonna do a little check here," she said, slipping her hand into place to check Astrid's cervix. Astrid held Hiccup's hand as the feeling was a tad uncomfortable. "Are you ready to have this baby, Astrid? You're ten centimeters and full effaced," she informed. "Time to push,"

"We're ready," Astrid confirmed with a nod from Hiccup.

"How…Will the baby be coming out?" Hiccup wondered.

"Well, she will be early and there could be some issues, but we won't know until she comes out and gets checked over. So, let's cover step on and get her out," Jannike informed lightly as she pulled her hand free and the nurses came over to start getting ready with positioning the bed for Astrid to push.

"Alright dad; we're gonna have you stay up there with mom. Astrid, what we're gonna do is hold your legs. When Dr. Fredricksen tells you to push, you're going to push hard and hold it for ten seconds. After that; let out the breath. Don't push again until instructed, okay?" the nurse said softly. Astrid gave a nod as Hiccup offered his hand to her to hold.

"You can do this, babe. We're together, and there's nothing we can't do. You have me," Hiccup said.

"And you have me," Astrid replied. "I love you," she said, getting a bit panicky that this was the moment.

"I love you too, Astrid," Hiccup responded as he leaned over the bed a bit and kissed her deeply. Hiccup used his free hand to activate his camera and switched to selfie mode; he snapped a shot of him and Astrid kissing and then set the device down for now, he planned to get some shots after the birth provided Zephyr didn't need to be rushed off to the NICU.

"Alright, Astrid. On your next contraction; I want you to push," Jannike instructed.

"Okay," Astrid responded. As soon as the contraction hit; Astrid began pushing.

**. . .**

_[10:15 pm]_

Astrid had beads of sweat pouring down her face as she cried out and pushed hard. Suddenly, relief hit her as a loud cry filled the room; Astrid flopped back with an exhausted smile on her face. "And we have a girl!" Jannike announced as Hiccup and Astrid only smiled, knowing previously they were having a girl.

"You did it, babe," Hiccup kissed her forehead. Astrid panted hard, still smiling.

"Dad, would you like to cut the cord?" a nurse inquired.

"Go on, babe," Astrid said, releasing Hiccup's sore hand from all the squeezing during the half an hour of pushing Astrid did to get their daughter out. Hiccup moved over to the spot, taking the scissors and cutting the spot he was told too. Hiccup also had his phone, snapping pictures of the incredible moment where their daughter was born. Hiccup took shots of them cleaning Zephyr off, weighing and measuring her too. The poor newborn was little, but came out crying and in good color, so Hiccup had high hopes she would be alright. Finally, after footprints and other such things were checked out, the baby girl was wrapped and brought to her parents.

"She seems alright, but still small and needs to be checked out more thoroughly with some advanced tests in the baby care center. But, you can have a few minutes with her while we clean up," the nurse smiled as she shifted the baby into Astrid's arms. Astrid wasn't one to cry, but she couldn't contain this level of joy. Hiccup took a couple pictures of the two, and then he took one of all three of them before Astrid gave Hiccup his turn to hold their little girl. Astrid took a few picture of the two of them and then another group one was taken by the nurse.

"What is the baby's name?" Jannike inquired.

"Zephyr. Zephyr Haddock," Astrid replied softly. Jannike wrote it down, along with some other information before setting it in the rolling crib-cart.

"Alright, it's time for us to take her now. If all checks out; we'll bring her right back. If not, someone will be by to update you. As I said, she seems great for five weeks early. We do have to check the lungs and what not," Jannike informed. The two understood as Hiccup kissed Zephyr's forehead.

"I love you," Hiccup whispered to her and then gave Astrid the chance to kiss Zephyr as well before handing their infant daughter off to the nurse, who placed her in the crib and wheeled it out. Hiccup embraced Astrid after everyone filed out to leave the two new parents alone. "You did great, Astrid,"

"Couldn't have done it without you," Astrid said lightly, and yawned.

"Get some rest," Hiccup offered.

"I want to be awake for the update…" Astrid frowned.

"I'll wake you, but we don't know how long that will take, so rest for now. I'm gonna message everyone the news and relax too," Hiccup informed.

"Okay," Astrid agreed, relaxing in the bed. "Love you," she said.

"I love you too," Hiccup kissed her lightly. Astrid soon dozed off and fell asleep within ten minutes as Hiccup used the bathroom first and then sat down in the chair, reclining it a bit and getting his phone set to charge. Hiccup pulled up the good shots of Zephyr's birth and put them into the group message where everyone was. Hiccup knew they were likely all still awake and waiting for news. The last messages had been sent around 9:30 when Hiccup told them nothing yet and waiting on next check for dilation.

_10:35 pm  
May I introduce; Zephyr Haddock. Born; 5/15/2023 at 10:17 pm in Berkian Hearts General Hospital, Labor & Delivery department. Weight; 4lbs 11oz. Height; 17 ½ inches. Zephyr looks good, but taken to care unit for more tests. Will let you know when we do. Ast is sleeping, and I'm relaxing. I'll let you know in the morning how visiting will go. Talk to you tomorrow. Much love, night._

Hiccup set the device aside and closed his eyes. This night was amazing, and Hiccup couldn't wait for the news on their daughter, and then being her home. Hopefully in time for the wedding that was five weeks away. Hiccup couldn't wait.


	35. Chapter 35

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**35.**

_=Normal POV=  
[Tuesday, 5/16/2023-9:00 am]  
[Isle of Berk; Hospital]_

The next morning came quick, but Hiccup and Astrid never received an update on their newborn daughter. Upon waking up at 7:30 am, Hiccup helped Astrid use the bathroom, and then he went after she was back in bed since she was a bit sore still from giving birth last night. Breakfast came at 8:30 am; Hiccup and Astrid split it between them and now, they were just sitting around until there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Hiccup stated as he and Astrid straightened up for whoever was coming. The door opened to reveal a different doctor, who Hiccup knew. "Atali?"

"Hiccup? Oh, my Gods! It's been ages," the woman, Atali, smiled.

"Right? What are you doing here in Berk? I thought you stationed on Wingmaiden?" Hiccup asked.

"I'm only here for a little bit, filling in for a friend while they are handling some family affairs," Atali smiled.

"You two know one another?" Astrid blinked curiously.

"Yeah. Babe, this is Atali Mayden. She was one of the medics in Alpha Company when I joined," Hiccup stated. "Atali, this is my fiancé, Astrid Hofferson,"

"She's the famous Divine Beauty you were always going on about," Atali laughed lightly.

"Is that all anyone knows me as?" Astrid giggled. "Famous Astrid, or your Divine Beauty?"

"I told you, despite what happened; I never forget about you, Ast. Or stopped loving you. No one was ever, and no one ever will be," Hiccup held her hand.

"He was always sulking and miserable from what I remember before my discharge," Atali informed.

"You doing better on everything now?" Hiccup wondered.

"Much, thank you for asking, Hiccup. Now…I'm sure you're curious to know about your little girl?" Atali asked.

"Yes, please?" Astrid hoped.

"She's doing wonderfully. Much better than some newborns born at thirty-five weeks," Atali reported. "Her lungs are slightly undeveloped, but enough to breathe on her own without any breathing equipment. No infections, maintaining a normal body temperature, and she's feeding well too,"

"Oh, that's great," Hiccup sighed in relief.

"So…Can we take her home with us tomorrow?" Astrid inquired softly.

"I don't see why not; she makes all the requirements for the hospital to release her," Atali informed as Hiccup wrapped his arm around Astrid, knowing she was happy to hear that, so was he. "We'll bring her by later; still a few more tests to run. I'd say by lunch, we'll move her to stay in here with both of you and then a discharge in the morning," she added.

"That's perfect…Can we have visitors?" Astrid hoped.

"Certainly, but no more than ten to the room. Unless you want to use the space at the end of the wing; it's a bit more open and you can have up to thirty. We know some new parents have big groups who all want to come," Atali stated.

"Thank you so much," Hiccup told Atali as she nodded and bowed her head lightly before exiting the room. "That's such a relief,"

"Guess she's got a mix of us for sure," Astrid laid her head against his chest since Hiccup was sitting half on the bed. "Text the others,"

"Should I tell them to come later when they are free, since it's a Tuesday?" Hiccup wondered.

"Yeah, that sounds good," Astrid nodded. Hiccup got his phone and pulled up the group message, seeing everyone sending their congrats and how cute Zephyr was, also that they couldn't wait to meet her in person. Hiccup and Astrid decided to sit back and relax after the message was out; it was a weekday, so not everyone would come at the same time and it was only 9 am too.

**. . .**

_[4:00 pm]_

Stoick, Valka, Gobber, Calder and Asvora were first to show up at 10:30 am to visit with Hiccup and Astrid. Unfortunately, Hiccup only had pictures to show since Zephyr was still in the care center. Next to arrive was Spitelout, Freda, Adelaide, Tuffnut, Snotlout, Ruffnut, Minden, Heather, Mala, Magne, Dagny, Heather, and Fishlegs between the hours of 2 and 3:30 pm. Finally, last to show was Dagur, Eret, and Thuggory. Of course, they moved to the big room at the end of the hallway to accommodate all the people visiting.

"Hiccup?" came Atali's voice as he looked towards the large room's entrance. "Come with me, please?" there was a sudden tension now.

"Has something happened?" Hiccup asked.

"No, no. Nothing like that. Forgive my tone; it's been a long day. I just need you to fill out a couple things," Atali smiled.

"Thank Odin," Astrid sighed in relief.

"I'll be right back," Hiccup kissed her cheek and left the room with Atali. Twenty minutes later, Hiccup returned and he wasn't alone. "Hey, babe…Look who decided to come back with me," he called her attention as everyone looked to see a small baby girl wrapped in a purple blanket in his arms.

"They let you take her out?!" Astrid sat up straight, instantly happy.

"I was signing her discharge from the care unit; she's spending the night with us in the room and tomorrow, we all go home," Hiccup informed while walking closer to his fiancé.

"Oh, she's so little. About the size you were, son," Valka beamed.

"How precious…" Asvora smiled as well, both women admiring their granddaughter.

"She's got your hair, laddie," Gobber pointed out.

"But Astrid's beautiful blue eyes," Hiccup added as Astrid blushed. Hiccup neared her and carefully set Zephyr in her arms.

"We make cute kids," Astrid said softly as Hiccup crouched down beside her. "Should we give Zeph a brother or sister?"

"How about we make it through the wedding and honeymoon first before we go adding to the family?" Hiccup chuckled. "But I'm all for it after that,"

"I think you two can wait a bit between kids," Calder remarked.

"I was teasing, Dad," Astrid rolled her eyes. "I'd like to see Zeph two or three years old before we have more,"

"I can get behind that idea," Hiccup agreed.

"I still firmly believe I went into labor early because we had sex Sunday night," Astrid shrugged.

"It's possible. My doctor told me that sex could push a woman into labor if she's near her due date," Adelaide stated calmly. "She's beautiful,"

"So, I take it the wedding is still on for the original plan?" Stoick inquired.

"Absolutely," Hiccup nodded. "Saturday, June 17th at 5 pm in Meade Hall. Are we keeping the honeymoon dates, or would you like to push it back?" he asked Astrid.

"Well, when we get married; she'll be at her original due date…I think it's safe to take off for a week or two," Astrid mentioned. "But…Let's push it back into August; I'd like some time with out little girl instead of taking off after a month," she added.

"Whatever you want. I'll call my contact and book that for us," Hiccup assured.

"You're the best," Astrid kissed him. Hiccup returned it gently. "I love you,"

"I love you too," Hiccup replied.

"Okay, you two be lovey-dove all you want, but share the baby," Heather giggled.

"I wouldn't advise that," Atali stated, coming into the room. "While little Zephyr is doing stellar for born five weeks early; I don't wish to test the waters and risk her falling ill from being bounced around to different people. She still has a very small immune system, and becoming sick could accidentally extend her stay here. Admire without touching, at least until she's a month old,"

"Understood," Hiccup nodded. It sucked, but no one wanted to risk Zephyr having to stay longer, or her already delicate state becoming bad. Overall, this was a fantastic day to celebrate Hiccup and Astrid's first child being born the night before. And now the next big event was their wedding. No one could wait as it took Hiccup and Astrid eight years to get back together, engaged, welcoming an unexpected child into the world, and now, finally...Getting married.

**. . .**

_[Saturday, 6/17/2023-4:30 pm]  
[Isle of Berk; Meade Hall]_

A month had passed, and went quicker than anyone expected. But today was the big day; Hiccup and Astrid's wedding, finally. It should have happened years ago, but despite all that waiting; it was worth it. Hiccup got to meet Dagur, Mala, Heather, Eret, Thuggory, Camicazi, and so many others due to the breakup when Astrid said no to his proposal by accident in a panic about being married young. Even Astrid agreed when Hiccup confided in her before they had to say goodbye the day before the wedding, keeping to tradition of not seeing one another until the moment they stood together to say their vows. In other fun news, Adelaide gave birth to hers and Tuffnut's son; the boy's name was Kollnut Thorston. Adelaide went into labor on May 19th, two days before she was originally due, and everything went smoothly.

Little Zephyr Haddock was doing phenomenal, now a month old. There were no complications from her being born five weeks early, and she was able to go home with Hiccup and Astrid on the 18th of May around lunch time. Hiccup and Astrid adjusted well to home life with a newborn; it helped that Zephyr was a good baby. Zephyr took her feeds well, slept great, and getting her on a schedule really helped. Astrid was off work until just after the two-week honeymoon; she'd return to the animal hospital in mid-August. Hiccup would be going back to work in a week, but then taking off the two weeks for the honeymoon to the Hidden World. Everything for the wedding was ready to go, now it just needed Hiccup and Astrid, who were there and separated until the big moment. Hiccup was at his place in front of the guests, but moving around and talking to everyone still.

"Excited, cuz?" Snotlout asked, patting Hiccup's back.

"More like relieved this day has finally come," Hiccup admitted with a smile.

"Well, it's here. And hey, we were all rooting for it after the breakup; for you two to get back together and end up here," Fishlegs chuckled.

"He's right; we kept saying you two would get your chance to talk and probably fix things," Tuffnut nodded.

"I guess I always knew talking was necessary," Hiccup told them.

"Well, you're here, bro. You got her back, and you're sealing it forever," Dagur stated.

"Thank Odin," Hiccup smiled.

The time continued to pass; Hiccup spent some time holding Zephyr, who had been between his dad and Calder since the women were with Astrid in a room down the aisle and off to the left. She had been due for a feeding, so Hiccup took it charge. Everyone was happy to be able to hold Zephyr now; that had been a fun day. And this would be too. At 5 pm rolled around; everyone began taking their seats and quieting down. So much had gone into preparation for today, Hiccup knew it was going to be perfect; all that mattered was he would get to marry Astrid. Everything else could go wrong as long as Astrid ended up his wife before midnight. Soon everyone was sitting and being quiet as the music started; Snotlout, and Hiccup's groomsmen were in place on his left.

First to come forward was little Dagny Bazirk, throwing petals along the way until she reached Hiccup, who bent down to give her a kiss on the forehead and then she stood beside her father. Next was Magne, carrying the rings on a blue, heart-shaped pillow. Hiccup gave him a hug and he stood with Dagur as well. Following the kids out were Astrid's bridesmaids, in an order that would best allow them to walk with their lover. Last to come was Ruffnut, as Astrid's maid of honor. Ruffnut took her place at head of the line, which would be on Astrid's right. The music changed as everyone stood and turned to watch Astrid walk down the aisle. Valka was already beside Stoick, holding Zephyr since Astrid was being walked down the aisle by both her mother and father. Even Toothless and Stormfly were part of this.

It was amazing that after all these years, Hiccup still felt his hear beating hard and fast when seeing Astrid; that she still mad him nervous and unable to find his words. Astrid looked absolutely stunning in her Viking-themed wedding dress. Hiccup too, was dressed in something Viking-like. **(Thinking HTTYD 3 Hiccup & Astrid wedding scene clothes.)** Everyone else was dressed for normal or semi-formal for a wedding. Calder and Asvora led Astrid down the aisle; Hiccup could only consider her a fallen angel or goddess, and he; just an average mortal that she'd somehow fallen for and decided to stay instead of returning to the paradise she'd come from. When the three Hofferson's reached Hiccup at the front; Asvora kissed Astrid's cheek, and smiled at Hiccup before stepping back. Calder kissed Astrid's other cheek, and hugged her before giving an accepting nod to Hiccup that he was giving Astrid away to him to love and care for.

Hiccup offered his hand to Calder; the two shook before Calder and Asvora went to take their seats to watch the rest of the ceremony. Astrid turned to hand her bouquet to Ruffnut, then join her hands to Hiccup's, which were out and offered to her to take. The two smiled at one another, happy to be standing where they were now, finally. Their ceremony would be short, simple, with few words that meant so much.

"Are we ready to begin?" inquired the officiant, Gothi Elderidge.

"We are," Hiccup and Astrid replied softly.

"Welcome, family and friends of Hiccup and Haddock. We join together on this 17th day of June in the year 2023 to unite these two lovers in marriage. And from what I understand, it's a marriage that has taken years to happen," Gothi laughed a little with the guests. "But through everything, these two stand together in love, stronger than ever," she added. "If anyone objects to this union, speak now or forever hold your tongue," she looked around. No one would dare. Hiccup and Astrid would probably kill them for daring stop them from marrying. "I understand you wrote your own vows?" she asked.

"We did, sort of a combination vows to each other and the ring exchange," Astrid nodded.

"Then I'll hand this over to you," Gothi stepped back. Hiccup released Astrid's hands, turning to Snotlout who was already retrieving the rings from Magne off the pillow. With both in his hand; he gave Hiccup's ring to Astrid, and Astrid's to Hiccup before returning to his spot.

"Ladies first," Hiccup offered.

Astrid blushed a bit, her soon to be husband was such a gentleman at times. Astrid held Hiccup's left hand, smiling as she set her hand in place to slide the ring on while her eyes never left Hiccup's. "I, Astrid, take you, Hiccup, to be my husband; knowing in my heart that you will always be my constant friend, my faithful partner, and my one true love. With this ring, I thee wed," she set the ring on Hiccup's left hand ring finger.

"I, Hiccup, take you, Astrid, to be my wife; knowing in my heart that you will always be my constant friend, my faithful partner, and my one true love. With this ring, I thee wed," Hiccup repeated the same line, sliding the silver band onto her finger, and then doing one better by adding back her engagement ring to sit in front of the band.

"Join hands," Gothi instructed with a smile as Hiccup offered his left to Astrid's left and they connected. Gothi wrapped a white cloth with gold trim and designs over their hands, then once more to secure it before she set her hand on top and gave a bow of her head in blessing of their marriage. Gothi looked out to the guests now. "Hiccup and Astrid have vowed eternal friendship, partnership, and love before you all, and exchanged rings as symbols of the promises made here today. With the power vested in me, by the Isle of Berk in the Barbaric Archipelago; I now declare you husband and wife," she stepped back. "You may seal the deal with the kiss," she added.

Neither had hesitation as they leaned in, and their lips met in a kiss. Hiccup brought his right hand up to cup her cheek and deepen the action as the crowd cheered and clapped. Finally, Hiccup and Astrid were married. After the kiss, Gothi removed the cloth from their hands and folded it up against her chest as Hiccup and Astrid turned to face everyone. Hiccup's left arm went around her waist as Astrid leaned against his shoulder. Everything went perfect! Officially, they were married as husband and wife.

"It is my honor to introduce for the first time, Hiccup and Astrid Haddock!" Gothi called out, eliciting more cheering. Everything went perfect! Officially, Hiccup and Astrid were married as husband and wife. Now, with the big piece taken care of; they could enjoy the rest of their night.


	36. Chapter 36

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**36.**

_=Normal POV=  
[Saturday, 6/17/2023-5:45 pm]  
[Isle of Berk; Meade Hall]_

The ceremony was beautiful, though short; it was sweet and meaningful. Hiccup and Astrid didn't need long speeches or vows to describe what they were to one another, or make the promises of supporting and loving one another as friends and lovers for the rest of their days together; it had already been made very clear given their love lasted eight years apart. Hiccup and Astrid, no matter what else was going on in their time apart, were always on each other's minds; wanting to talk and get back together. It may have taken more than a bit, or a while, but it happened and now they were bound together in marriage until the day they died. With the serious part of the wedding over, now everyone could party. The first thing to happen after the ceremony ended was the hugs and handshake of congratulations; then it was pictures. All basic shots of Hiccup and Astrid, some with them and their daughter, other done were with each set of parents, then both parents, and after that it was general purpose pictures with friends.

The photographer would be there as long as they were getting plenty of other unsuspecting shots to be documented for years to come in the form of memories about good times, even if embarrassing. Following pictures being over; the one thing to happen before dinner was served was Hiccup and Astrid's first dance as husband and wife. Hiccup and Astrid had picked their song right away; something that represented them and where they started as lovers, a single song that had so many memories.

"And now the bride and groom will share their first dance," the DJ announced as everyone took their seats and the lights dimmed down a bit leaving Hiccup and Astrid alone on the dance floor with all the tables around. It might be a small group, but the set the tables so that everyone would be able to see perfectly. Hiccup and Astrid had their own table that faced the others. The DJ started the song to begin as Astrid and Hiccup smiled, walking closer to one another.

"Oh, I remember this," Fishlegs clapped lightly, sitting with Heather, Dagur, Mala, Magne, and Dagny.

"Right?" Ruffnut nodded.

"What do you remember?" Heather inquired.

"When Hiccup and Astrid got together years ago at the end of ninth-grade; it was to this song. Astrid pulled Hiccup to dance with her, and they stole the stage by imitating the original," Fishlegs explained.

"And then he finally asked her out," Tuffnut added.

Hiccup and Astrid started their dance, everyone soon picking up or being informed that the song was Can I Have This Dance? Performed by Troy and Gabriella in High School Musical 3. The two did it perfectly, and even sang just because they could. When it ended about four minutes later, the two did the slow circle before kissing. The guests clapped for the dance, saying it looked great. Hiccup and Astrid reached their seats as dinner was served; as agreed there was a small plate of salad to start. Following that was the chicken parmigiana dish and garlic bread. The cake was obviously dessert, but they weren't to the cake yet.

During dinner, for those who were done and wanted to walk around; the music was playing. A lot of the couples were on the dance floor, having a good time to the slow and fast songs going on the playlist. Hiccup and Astrid were moving to the different tables to talk with everyone because they felt they shouldn't just sit at theirs watching everything. Currently; they were sitting with their parents, Gobber, Spitelout and Freda; who were all at one table.

"So, what is your plan for tonight?" Asvora asked.

"Well, since we pushed back the honeymoon, probably a night at home with Zephyr," Astrid stated.

"No, it won't be," Hiccup smiled some.

"Oh?" Astrid arched a brow.

"Mom and Dad are taking Zeph for the weekend, and we're going to Berk Palace," Hiccup sad calmly.

"Berk Palace?!" Astrid exclaimed.

"Of course," Hiccup replied.

"B-But we said no honeymoon until August?" Astrid stammered a bit, very confused.

"Well, this isn't a honeymoon, Milady. It's just us going to the hotel until Sunday. A little getaway, mini-vacation to enjoy the wedded bliss," Hiccup informed.

"Really, we're going to Berk Palace?!" Astrid said excited now; it was her favorite place and Hiccup took her there for the first time they ever had sex back when they were seventeen because he wanted it to be perfect and special.

"Yes, love," Hiccup nodded. "I already packed our things last night, since you stayed at Heather's and weren't home to see me do it," he added.

"Sneaky, and clever," Astrid giggled. "But I love it, so thank you," she said as they shared a kiss.

"That's kind of what he's good at," Dagur laughed a bit.

"Being smart and sneaky; that's why he's special ops," Thuggory added.

"Actually…" Hiccup cut in, gaining their attention. "I'm not anymore,"

"What?" everyone asked, surprised.

"I, uh, I'm not special ops anymore. Still active duty soldier, yes, but I resigned from special operations work," Hiccup informed.

"Why?" Eret wondered.

"And why haven't you told me you did this? When did you do it?" Astrid asked.

"I was waiting for it to be finalized, which can take some time to go through the chain and be approved by the proper levels. Also, I was making it semi-wedding gift for you to be a bit more at ease that I'm not taking off for missions outside of normal deployment with Alpha Company. I saw how worried you were when we got back together; that I had to leave so suddenly for stuff like that, and then again with being gone two months for that kind of work," Hiccup explained to his new wife. "So when I got back from the last thing I did; I put in a formal, legal request to be removed from Special Ops and just stay normal soldier. It was made official just two days ago,"

"But…Why did you do it?" Astrid inquired.

"For you," Hiccup stated as her eyes widened a bit. "I know how much you worry with me in the military. And I knew that fear was multiplied knowing I was special operations too; especially after learning that I've been on missions where I've been severely wounded and an on the brink of death, captured, etc. So I thought that since I'm a husband and father now; I would take away some of that fear by removing myself from the more dangerous aspects of the job I do. Most of my injuries, even the PTSD…Came from being a special ops soldier because of the work that has to get done. So, after the last mission I did where I was there for two months; I resigned my command to Brynjar Grimborn as leader, and then I put in to be removed from special operations. I did it for you and our family if even by a little bit; it makes you feel less scared," he said lightly.

Astrid stared at him a few moments before she smiled and lunged forward to hung him around the next. "You're the best. I love you, Hiccup Haddock," Astrid said, feeling happy and relieved.

It was a surprise indeed, and she couldn't have asked for any better news. Everyone else was just as shocked. Hiccup gave up being special operations in order to remove himself from dangerous spots; a means that he cut out a position in his job that put his life in danger more than average. Dagur, Thuggory, and Eret all knew Hiccup had been hurt more on special operations missions that normal stuff with them. Hiccup had been hurt and captured while special ops; he didn't want to risk any of that now that he was married and had a child. The guys understood; Hiccup took the job to be special operations originally because he had nothing significant going on in his life and wanted more to keep himself busy. Hiccup now had that with Astrid as his wife, and Zephyr as his daughter. Hiccup didn't want Special Operations work taking away from his new life with his family.

"I love you too, Astrid Haddock," Hiccup returned the action. Astrid felt extremely giddy to hear Hiccup call her a Haddock. Astrid had dreamed of such for years, and now; it finally happened. Astrid married Hiccup, and was officially a Haddock now.

"Has a nice ring to it, and my initials didn't change," Astrid laughed a bit.

"Well, I told you once before that you'd always been part of this family, Astrid. Name change or not," Hiccup stated softly. "Speaking of surprises; I do have one more for you,"

"Yeah?" Astrid smiled curiously at him now.

"Remember when we went camping last September, and you asked if I'd sing for you?" Astrid nodded to him. "Well, I decided I would write something for you. It's taken me all this time to finish it," Hiccup informed.

"I definitely want to hear it," Astrid smiled, hoping he'd do it now.

"It's your lucky day, aside from marrying me," Hiccup joked as Astrid did the same. Hiccup moved over to the DJ, speaking with him about what was going to happen. The DJ nodded, handing Hiccup a microphone.

"The groom would like to perform a song for his new wife, totally original," the DJ announced after cutting the current music and getting things set to play the song from Hiccup's phone. Everyone sat down as Astrid blushed a bit, facing Hiccup; she had a front row seat to this.

"For you, Milady," Hiccup offered a bow to her. "This is called Written In The Stars," he informed as the DJ set the lights down a bit and the music started. _"Stay with me, don't fall asleep too soon. The angels can wait, for a moment,"_ Hiccup began on cue to. _"Come real close, forget the world outside. Tonight we're alone; it's finally you and I,"_ he smiled as Astrid blushed more; his voice was amazing. _"Oh, it wasn't meant to feel like this. Oh, not without you,"_

The music picked up a bit more. _"Cause when I look at my life, how the pieces fall into place. It just wouldn't rhyme without you. When I see how my path, seemed to end up before your face. The state of my heart, the place where we are; was written in the stars,"_ Hiccup sang as things slowed once more.

"_Don't be afraid, I'll be right by your side. Through the laughter and pain. Together we're bound to fly. Oh, I wasn't meant to love like this, not without you,"_ Hiccup continued as Astrid just listened; she loved it. And it single-handedly became her number one favorite.

The music lifted again. Everything flowed perfectly, and it sounded like Hiccup had backup singers, but it was all his voice, preprogrammed into the recorded music that played. _"Cause when I look at my life, how the pieces fall into place. It just wouldn't rhyme without you. When I see how my path, seemed to end up before your face. The state of my heart, the place where we are; was written in the stars,"_ Hiccup moved closer to Astrid, offering his hand as she took it and Hiccup pulled her up in front of him, staring into her blue eyes. _"We made a few mistakes, yeah; like sometimes we do. We've both been through a lot of heartache, but I made it back to you!"_ he held the note as Astrid blushed harder.

"_Cause when I look at my life, how the pieces fall into place. It just wouldn't rhyme without you. When I see how my path, seemed to end up before your face. The state of my heart, the place where we are; was written in the stars!"_ another note that got held a moment or two as Hiccup smiled, twirling her a bit and dancing some. _"When I look at my life, how the pieces fall into place. It just wouldn't rhyme without you. When I see how my path, seemed to end up before your face. The state of my heart, the place where we are; was written in the stars,"_ Hiccup pulled her close as the music practically faded away. _"The state of my heart. The place where we are; was written in the stars…"_ Hiccup finished.

Hiccup moved the microphone down and leaned in, capturing Astrid's lips with his own in a passionate, deep kiss. The rest of the guests cheered and clapped; the song was very well done and they could all tell Hiccup put a lot of time and effort into this for Astrid. The kiss ended a few moments later as Astrid smiled. "I demand a copy, and I want the chorus as my ringtone," Astrid said.

"I'll take care of it after the mini-honeymoon," Hiccup nodded.

"It was beautiful," Astrid laid her head on his chest. Hiccup shifted a bit and gave the microphone back to the DJ, who resumed the other music. It was a slow song, so Hiccup decided to just lead Astrid into a dance on the floor.

"I'm glad you liked it. I wanted to do something that captured how I felt during our time apart. That no matter what; it was always you and nothing was right without you," Hiccup said.

"I loved it, and the message was very clear," Astrid smiled. "Thank you," she danced with him.

"You're welcome. I love you," Hiccup said.

"I love you too," Astrid laid her head on his chest while they kept dancing in a slow circle.

**. . .**

_[9:30 pm]_

The wedding was a blast. Shortly after Hiccup's song to Astrid; they decided to have cake. Astrid and Hiccup cut it and fed each other, obviously not being any kind of nice about it. Hiccup started with feeding Astrid nicely, but Astrid smashed the small piece in his face, so he did it back to her. The two laughed about it and kissed one another despite their messy faces. After cleaning up; they both sat down to enjoy a shared piece. Staff of Meade Hall passed out the other pieces to guests. After that; it was more talking, laughing, and dancing. When 8:30 pm him; Hiccup and Astrid did the garter removal, and Hiccup decided to be all perverted about it, which almost got Calder and Stoick out of their seats; but their wives held them back and reminded them that this was Hiccup and Astrid's wedding, so let them have their fun. Follow the remove of the garter, and a kiss between the newlyweds; it turned to the toss for garter and bouquet.

For the bouquet toss, Heather caught it. And in the garter throw; the others stepped back last minute and let Fishlegs catch it because he looked down that he likely wouldn't. It was a sweet thing to do, and allowed him to set the garter on Heather, no higher than her knee because Dagur was shooting glares at his little sister's boyfriend that Fishlegs understood as;_ behave with my sister or die_. Hiccup and Astrid got a laugh out of it, and Hiccup told Dagur to relax because Fishlegs cared a lot about Heather, so he wouldn't hurt her. Everything after all that was more talking, dancing, and relaxing. The time, though; had shifted to 9:30 pm and in a half hour more; they had to leave Meade Hall because they only rented the space until 10 pm.

Right now, Hiccup was sitting beside Astrid; she was leaning on his shoulder and holding a slumbering Zephyr. "Tired?" Hiccup asked when Astrid yawned.

"Little bit. More of partied out and ready to relax," Astrid informed gently.

"Want to head out? We have to leave in half an hour anyway," Hiccup asked.

"Yeah, I guess that's okay. I'm ready to strip out of the dress and be comfortable in the hotel with you," Astrid said softly.

"Oh, I'll strip you out of the dress," Hiccup chuckled.

"Hiccup!" Astrid blushed furiously.

"Well, babe…We can't consummate the marriage while clothed," Hiccup reminded.

Astrid smiled, shaking her head, but she agreed with him. "Alright, let's get ready to leave," Astrid stated as she lifted her head.

"I'll take Zeph to my parents," Hiccup took their daughter from Astrid and got up to walk over to Stoick and Valka. "Astrid and I are gonna head out early. She's getting tired. Cool with you guys?"

"Of course, son," Stoick said as he took Zephyr from Hiccup.

"And we'll take care of all this, you two go ahead," Valka stated. "Little Zephyr will be fine with us. We'll see you Sunday,"

"Thanks," Hiccup hugged them as he looked to see Astrid beside him.

"Ready?" Astrid asked.

"We are," Hiccup held her hand. "Night all! See ya Sunday!" he called. Everyone got up to say goodbye and followed while Hiccup and Astrid went out to Hiccup's car, loaded up and left, heading for Berk Palace to start their three-day honeymoon.


	37. Chapter 37

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**37.**

_=Normal POV=  
[Saturday, 6/17/2023-9:45 pm]  
[Isle of Berk; Berk Palace]_

The drive wasn't long to the hotel, about fifteen minutes. Hiccup and Astrid parked, grabbing their bags from the trunk and heading inside the building; then to the front desk to check in. "Welcome to Berk Palace. Checking in this evening?" the man smiled and asked them.

"Yes, please. We have a reservation under Haddock," Hiccup said with a smile.

"I have you right here," the man said, marking it down and sliding two cards through a machine. "Here are you keys, and some things you can enjoy tomorrow morning when they open up again. Enjoy your stay!" Hiccup took the keys and nodded. "Top floor, room 617; it's to the left upon exiting the elevator,"

"We will, thank you!" Hiccup said, grabbing the two suitcases.

"Babe, let me help," Astrid said.

"No, I got these. But you can hold the cards," Hiccup stated, giving her the cards and sheets of paper they were given. The two moved to the elevator and got inside, Astrid pressed the top floor button as the elevator started upward. It didn't take long to get there, and they got out, heading left to find their room.

"Here it is," Astrid said, pointing to a door with **617** on it. Astrid slid one of the cards in and unlocked the door, turning the handle and walking inside to see the beautiful layout of their room until Sunday morning. "It's incredible," Astrid gasped, admiring everyone once inside, so poor Hiccup didn't have to sit in the hallway with the bags. Hiccup chuckled, setting the bags near on the bed, because they would likely change out of the wedding stuff soon.

"Honeymoon suite," Hiccup said, coming up behind her. "There's a regular bathroom in that entry hall on the left. And in the main room here, we have the bed, the jacuzzi, dresser, tv, and small table near the window that overlooks the ocean," he explained, motioning to everything.

"I love it," Astrid beamed, turning in Hiccup's arms and wrapping hers around his. "I love you,"

"I love you too," Hiccup replied as they shared a kiss and stared into one another's eyes. "Well, we're finally here," he said.

"I know…Married at last, nine years late," Astrid laughed a little. "But we got here," she added in agreement.

"And we even started our family early," Hiccup reminded.

"Yes, we did. And I couldn't be happier about it," Astrid stated gently.

"Me either," Hiccup smiled. "I take it you want more kids?"

"Later down the line; I think we should enjoy Zephyr and being married first," Astrid said. "Then we can add more to the clan," she joked.

"I was thinking the same thing. Maybe two or so years?" Hiccup suggested.

"I'm okay with that," Astrid nodded, blushing a bit. "I, uh, never did thank you for your wedding gift," she said.

"Which one? The song or me leaving special ops?" Hiccup inquired.

"Leaving special ops; I know you liked it," Astrid glanced off a bit.

"No…No, I didn't like it so much as it gave me extra to do for training, or missions while deployed. Before you and I got back together; I wasn't so much worried about having free time, because all I thought about was you, babe. So I tried to keep myself busy and distracted. I never really…Enjoyed it. It was long, hard, dangerous…And like I said, now that this is where we are in our lives; it didn't feel right to keep risking myself more than average because I have a wife and family to be around for. That doesn't mean my cousins, aunts, uncles, and parents didn't count, but…I don't know; it's hard to explain. I guess, and don't hit more for it…" he trailed off. "I suppose I have a…Bigger desire to live,"

"Makes you sound suicidal or depressed," Astrid frowned a bit.

"This is why I said it was hard to explain. I meant it as in…Being a soldier, we all know the risks we take could mean we pay the ultimate price for freedom. And while I'm still more than accepting of such a fate; having you and our daughter, possibly more kids in the future just…Makes my drive to live and survive larger. I know it comes off really bad, but I suppose I just didn't want to add…Extra risk, and with some of the missions I went on as special ops; I came too close to dying. On normal missions with my platoon, few minor things. So I cut out the more dangerous aspect to lessen the chance that I get killed," Hiccup explained.

"Sounds better," Astrid shrugged. "Still, thank you," she smiled.

"You're welcome," Hiccup smiled.

"So…" Astrid cleared her throat a bit, walking her fingers up his chest. "It's about 10 pm…What do we do now?"

"Well…We can admire the room, enjoy the view, watch TV, maybe order room service, uh-," Hiccup was cut off from listing the possibilities when Astrid's lips crashed into his in a kiss. Hiccup returned the action and then Astrid pulled away smiling afterward.

"You talk too much," Astrid laughed some. "But I suppose you being you is what I fell in love with, so I have to take all of what makes you…You," Astrid smiled.

"Well…Maybe I should show you some of the things we can do without talking," Hiccup said and before Astrid could respond; he captured her lips with his own.

**~Lemon Start~**

Astrid melted into the kiss instantly. Hiccup set his hands on her waist and her arms resting on his shoulders as the kiss deepened and quickly became more passionate. Their eyes were closed as Hiccup backed Astrid up towards the king-sized bed in their hotel room. Between the kisses, Hiccup got off the white fur cloak Astrid was wearing off her shoulders, and she took off his brown one. Their floral crowns were tossed aside gently onto the nightstand. Astrid felt the bed against her as she panted a bit, breaking the make out session.

"G-Go lock the door," Astrid panted, very aroused and they'd only made out for five minutes.

"You close the curtains," Hiccup nodded. They kissed again before breaking off to handle the small things. Hiccup locked the door, setting out the _privacy please_ door hanger sign in the outside. Astrid took care of pulled the curtains closed; the two met back at the bed, smiling. Hiccup cupped her cheek, caressing it with his thumb. "You are so beautiful," he said lightly before leaning in to capture her lips again with his. The make out session picked up right away from where it stopped before the interruption to make the room safe for them to continue; it would be a buzzkill to have people show up unannounced.

Astrid blushed at Hiccup's compliment of her beauty; it was still surreal to her that they were married now. It didn't feel like anything had changed; with them in the hotel room now, things were normal as they were about to make love. The difference was that they were making love for the first time ever in the same hotel they'd done in nine years ago, now as a married couple. It was certainly exciting for them, and would prove to be an interesting, special night. Their kisses continued, their tongues dancing with Hiccup's in the lead. Astrid only went weak in the knees, but Hiccup held her up. Hiccup slid his hands up her back and loosened her dress; Astrid stepped back a bit to let it fall off her shoulders and down t the floor, she stepped out and returned to Hiccup's frame, still kissing.

Astrid worked off Hiccup's belt, and shirt; then his pants. Of course, this involved them trying to take off their shoes too and ended up toppling to the bed, laughing as they managed the task. Now; the two of them were just in their undergarments. Hiccup was over Astrid, caressing her cheek again as Astrid pulled him down for more kissing. Hiccup returned the action instantly, quickly taking over as the dominant one between them, though he knew Astrid could do it at any time she wanted. Hiccup got a feeling she really enjoyed when he took control like this. Hiccup's lips moved along her cheek and to her neck, licking and sucking the sensitive spot he knew she hand.

"A-Ah…Hiccup," Astrid gasped. Hiccup continued a moment or two more, stopping before it turned into a hickey. Hiccup didn't like leaving those on her; he didn't think they looked good. Hiccup's hands worked under Astrid to remove her bra and take it off her. Hiccup shifted down more to hold her breasts in his hands; he massaged them both before lowering his mouth to one, licking and sucking the perked up nipple. "Mm," Astrid moaned lightly at the feeling; her hands raked through Hiccup's hair lightly while enjoying everything. After a minute or two, Hiccup switched to repeat his actions on the other breast. Scooting down a bit more Hiccup lightly pulled off Astrid's underwear and tossed them aside with not a care as to why they landed. Astrid blushed a little as Hiccup placed a kiss on the folds sending a shiver of excitement through Astrid.

Hiccup started licking up and down lightly, making Astrid moan and bite her bottom lip. Hiccup smiled as he dove in more, using his tongue to get between the folds. Astrid moaned louder at the feeling, her hand on his head and panting a bit. Hiccup kept at his actions, knowing Astrid loved the way he ate her out. Hiccup waved his tongue up and down, poking her entrance a few times, causing Astrid to gasp out and grip the bed sheets. "Gods," Astrid panted. Hiccup used his thumbs to spread her womanhood lips apart and dive in again to continue eating her out. Hiccup shifted his tongue to Astrid's clit, causing her to jerk with pleasure, but Hiccup's arms around her legs kept her pinned from closing her legs to stop him. "Hiccup…F-Fuck…" she moaned.

Hiccup didn't cease his actions, he lightly licked over her clitoris and sucked on the sensitive nub a bit. "Gods, yes!" Astrid cried out, fidgeting at the pleasure in her nether regions. "I'm gonna cum," Astrid panted. Hiccup kept up what he was doing as Astrid arched a bit. "Ah, I'm cumming!" Astrid moaned as her orgasm hit hard; she released, squirting a bit as well. Hiccup smiled as Astrid laid there a few moments; panting heavily. After a moment, so Astrid could recover and catch her breath; Hiccup turned to his side a bit, rubbing his fingers up and down the moist area. Astrid moaned again before Hiccup pushed in two fingers; Astrid threw her head back, eliciting a louder moan. Hiccup started pumping his fingers in and out; he chuckled at Astrid's reactions. It didn't matter if she already had one orgasm, what was the harm in another? Hiccup's goal was to please her, so he'd do everything she liked.

"Hiccup!" Astrid moved her hands to his shoulders, gripping tightly. "Gods…" she moaned out as the feeling from the first release was still resonating within her. Hiccup doing this would only bring an inevitable second one on in no time. "Mm…" Astrid tried to wriggle for him to stop; the feeling was incredible and normal reaction was to pull away as the pleasure continued to increase.

"Don't fight it, babe," Hiccup invited as he started going faster and harder to bring her closer.

"A-Almost…There," Astrid moaned again. Hiccup decided to do what he knew would work; he pushed in more and curved his fingers up to hit her G-Spot. Once he struck it; he fingered her hard and fast Astrid couldn't take it; she threw her head back and Astrid raised her hips, arching up her back at the feeling. "Fuck! Yes, I'm cumming!" Astrid cried out in pleasure as she came again, squirting much more than the first time. Astrid's body fell limp on the bed, sprawled out as she panted, shaking from the two back-to-back orgasms Hiccup gave her. Hiccup wiped his mouth and fingers before moving back up to lay beside his wife and start kissing her again. It would be a good, but small break to let Astrid recover. Hiccup was very hard, and it showed with his boxers on.

Astrid definitely took notice of her husband's _situation_ and decided to get back at him for what he did to her. Once she recovered a bit, though the feeling continued to flow through her; she changed their position for Hiccup to be down on the bed and at her mercy. Hiccup didn't mind it; he thought it was a bit of a turn on for Astrid to be in control. Astrid kissed her husband continuously while moving down his still lean, but toned body. Reaching his lower half, Astrid pulled his boxers off and was met with his hardened length standing at attention. Astrid smiled as she lightly grasped his cock and began to stroke him. Hiccup relaxed on the bed while Astrid did her thing; he loved when she gave him hand and blow jobs. Not that he ever got it from anyone else except maybe Heather the one time before Astrid and Hiccup met up again.

"Fuck…" Hiccup breathed out, relaxing. Astrid smiled as she kept stroking Hiccup up and down at a light pace; she eventually lowered her mouth onto the length, but only to lube it up a bit and continue stroking while watching Hiccup's facial reactions and focusing on her work with him. Astrid stroked slow up and down, gradually picking up speed and shifting her hand around to give it a different feel from the various motions. Astrid knew which of these actions would send him over the edge, but she wanted to draw it out a bit. Why not? They had all night. "Astrid…" Hiccup moaned a bit. Astrid continued her actions, smiling while she did it, but was careful of her teeth not to graze him; she did it once by accident when they first started do foreplay and Hiccup wouldn't let her give him blow jobs for nearly a month; his cock twitched and it startled her.

Astrid kept up the hand job, steadily moving faster and making Hiccup's climax come faster. "Astrid…Gods," Hiccup moaned softly, running his hands through her hair. Astrid lowered her mouth, beginning to suck and stroke; occasionally swirling her tongue around the head. "Fuck…Astrid, I'll cum if you keep that up," Hiccup informed. Astrid didn't stop; she actually picked up speed with her actions. Hiccup bucked his hips, panting hard. "I-I'm cumming, Gods…" Hiccup said quickly, arching a bit and releasing into Astrid's mouth; she stayed in place for it and swallowed afterward. Hiccup panted, trying to catch his breath as Astrid pulled off and smiled at him. "Gods, I hate how good you are at that…I mean, you're the only…But damn," Hiccup told her.

"Glad you enjoy it so much," Astrid said lightly as she moved up beside him. "Can we still…You know, without the condom tonight?" she wondered lightly. Hiccup looked over at her; they did discuss, because of the fact it was their wedding night, not to use protection to enjoy the full everything of consummating their marriage had to offer.

"You have the morning-after pill, right?" Hiccup asked.

"I do; it's in my shower bag along with my birth control ones," Astrid nodded to her husband.

"Then I don't see why not," Hiccup smiled at her. "But not any other time, babe. Unless, of course, we're trying for another baby," Hiccup informed.

"Of course," Astrid agreed. Hiccup moved to be over her again, capturing her lips with his as the two starting making out again. Five minutes of this led to Hiccup preparing to enter her core; he had positioned himself already in place during their make out session. Astrid's hands were around Hiccup's neck, staring into his eyes as Hiccup smiled.

"Ready?" Hiccup asked, a little play on their first time ever having sex when he asked if she was ready.

"I am, make love to me, Hiccup," Astrid replied. Hiccup leaned down to kiss her against, setting his length at her entrance and guiding himself until the tip was in; after that he had both hands down on the bed for balance to push in fast. Astrid moaned out at the feeling of the bareness, no protection on to mask the feeling of Hiccup's cock inside her. Hiccup started rocking his hips slowly, like it was their first time all over again. "Mm…Feels good," Astrid told him softly after breaking the kiss.

"Yeah, it does," Hiccup replied as he started to go a bit faster.

"Oh!" Astrid moaned. "Harder, babe," she asked. Hiccup did so as Astrid moaned louder. The two of them kept at this for a little bit before Hiccup shifted to sitting up on his knees and pulled Astrid closer by holding her hip; he continued going hard and fast. "Fuck…" Astrid breathed out. Ten minutes passed before Hiccup had Astrid's legs bent over his arms, and then shortly after; over his shoulders. "Gods," Astrid panted.

"You wanna ride?" Hiccup asked her.

"Yes," Astrid smiled. Hiccup nodded as he lowered her legs and pulled out; then he laid down as Astrid climbed over him. Astrid leaned forward to kiss Hiccup before lowering herself onto his length; Hiccup lifted his hips to meet her movement. Astrid sat up, using Hiccup's chest to balance herself while starting to move herself. Hiccup set his hands on her hips, beginning to move in time with her. After a few moments; Hiccup moved his hands up to massage her breasts while she rode him. "Mm, yeah," Astrid moaned, proceeding to stay on top for a while. After some point, they changed positions again; this time to Hiccup holding Astrid against the wall and her legs wrapped around his waist, arms around his neck. Astrid adored that Hiccup was able to do this to her; they'd never tried it when they started having sex ten years ago.

Finally, the two shifted to do doggy style after being against the wall, and then it returned back to where they started in missionary. The time by the clock on the nightstand was 12:30 am, and they'd started at 10 pm. "Astrid…I can't hold it anymore…" Hiccup panted. Their bodies met each other's movements perfectly, and the two were covered in a layer of sweat; it was pretty hot being June.

"M-Me either…" Astrid panted. "Together?" she stared into his eyes, her hands holding his cheeks after the break in kissing.

"Always," Hiccup smiled as Astrid pulled his face down again to kiss. Astrid's body locked up as Hiccup felt her walls tighten around him; the sudden feeling sent both of them over the edge into orgasmic bliss. Astrid released at the same time Hiccup did, and of course; he came within her core. Hiccup's thrusts slowed as they panted hard, sharing small kisses with one another until the two stopped all movement and laid there, making out a bit.

**~Lemon End~**

Hiccup stayed inside Astrid until he went soft and the overall pleasure lessened a bit; he pulled out and laid beside his wife, holding her close. "I love you, Hiccup Haddock," Astrid said gently, and quiet tired.

"I love you too, Astrid Haddock," Hiccup smiled. "Let's get some sleep," he suggested. Astrid nodded as they kissed and pulled the covers over their nude bodies. It didn't take long for either of them to fall asleep smiling, and happy to be married and together forever as it was always meant to be.


	38. Chapter 38

**Stand The Test Of Time  
Rated; **M**  
Pairing; **Hiccup X Astrid**  
Disclaimer; **I do not own HTTYD.

**38\. Epilogue**

_=Hiccup's POV=  
[Sunday, 6/16/2030-2:00 pm]  
[Isle of Berk; Hiccup & Astrid's Home]_

Seven perfect years had passed since the day Astrid and I tied the knot as husband and wife. Seven tomorrow, in fact. All has been right in our lives. It was right when Astrid and I got back together after the eight year break up, but all that in the past; Astrid and I would be together forever now. A lot has changed since the wedding; all our friends are married with kids now too. Yes, I said kids; Astrid and I had a son, Nuffink, born two years later after our Zephyr, who just turned seven in May. Nuffink is four, about to be five in four months because he was born on October 17th, 2025. Astrid and I decided that a toddler and a newborn kept us pretty busy, so it was time for a long break until they got older. Astrid and I recently started discussing having another, but nothing officially decided on. My parents are still happily married with Gobber living there; I guess he's taken over my old room, the basement. Alvina and Calder, Astrid parents; are also still married and happy. Both families adore their grandchildren, always trying to take them. Astrid and I thought it was pretty funny actually.

So, for our friends lives. Dagur and Mala are still married and have five kids total; their youngest was born two years ago and stopped because Mala hit a point where it would be dangerous for her to have anymore kids. The last pregnancy was a tough one, and their child was born two months early due to complications with the mother. Mala was induced and had an emergency c-section. Regardless; the Bazirk Family is doing phenomenal now and still in their house on Berk. Heather, as a former Bazirk is doing great too; she is married to Fishlegs and they have three kids. The first was a daughter, and then like her older brother; she had twins, two boys. Fishlegs and Heather married after dating for two years, and the first child was born a year after marriage. As far as I know; they are done with children.

Snotlout and Minden married in December 2023, as they planned to. Minden ended up pregnant with her and Snotlout's first son just four months into the marriage. Now, they have a house and three more kids; all girls and said after the last, they were done. Adelaide is married to Tuffnut and they have three kids total; this included the son they give had in 2023. Adelaide and Tuffnut have a girl and another boy. I believe Adelaide said they were done as well, but Tuffnut is trying to get her to agree to one more. Thuggory and Camicazi got married after three years of dating; they had two kids, and then sadly…Thuggory passed away in 2027, overseas, on our fourth tour, back to Syria. Camicazi still lives on Berk with hers and Thuggory's son and daughter. Unfortunately…Thuggory got to see his daughter born, then we deployed and he died a month after going home for leave; his daughter wasn't even a year old yet.

That hit Dagur, Eret, and me hard. Thuggory died in my arms, and when the tour ended; I fell into a depression. My PTSD got worse and when I started drinking too much; I got help for it. I'm in a better place now, still drinking casually, as in when everyone gets together to hang out. Speaking of Eret; he is married to Ruffnut, and they five kids; the youngest is a year old. Eret and Ruffnut married a year after dating because Ruffnut got pregnant with their first daughter. It was a quick, shotgun wedding with close family and friends. As I said; everyone is married and doing great. Even Camicazi and her kids; she hasn't moved on, and I don't believe she wants to. I've done what I can to be there for her, Eret and Dagur too as we were Thuggory's best friends. So, that is where our lives are at now; everyone happy and safe.

I'm still in the military with Dagur, but Eret left. After Thuggory's death, Eret couldn't deal with the military anymore. It never came up in an evaluation; he just went to Drago and explained things. Drago understood and after doing some paperwork and jumping through hoops to get the discharge; Eret was out as of January 2028. Mine and Dagur's contracts were up a year ago, but we resigned for another six years. I think Dagur is going to be done after that, and I'm not sure about me yet. By the time that comes around; I'll be forty years old, I'm thirty-four as of February 2033, and Astrid is the same as of April this year too. I didn't intend on leaving the military until retirement in my sixties, or, Odin forbid it, but death. I'm doing pretty well in my job; I'm a Captain now, like Bludvist. I actually command my own company, named Myrkur, Dagur is my second in command at the rank of First Lieutenant. The fourth tour in Syria where Thuggory died was the first tour I went on with my own company, entirely different perspective to be in charge of all that.

I can honestly say I miss being a platoon leader; that was easier than being the boss. Also, things have been easier since leaving Special Ops, though, they've tried to get me to go back in. I refuse it. Regardless, everything is right in my life. I have an amazing, beautiful as the day I met her wife at my side, and two incredible children. We're still living in the same house; it'll be officially mine in another seven years.

"Babe! Everyone will be here soon for the picnic, can you give me a hand in bringing out the appetizers?" I hear my beloved wife call me.

"Coming, Milady," I replied as I saved my work in the office, now moved into the bedroom since Nuffink housed the original home office space, and then got up and joined Astrid in the kitchen. "What can I carry?" I asked.

"Just start grabbing the appetizer dishes," Astrid smiled. "Have you seen the kids?"

"They are out back; I put them in charge of sweeping the patio and wiping things down," I informed gently while getting grabbing a couple trays of snack-like foods and bringing them outside on the serving table we set up. Astrid and I took care of all that and saw the kids playing tag. I noticed Toothless and Stormfly both laying under the tree in a shaded spot. I felt a twinge of pain hit me as I saw Toothless; he was an old boy now; sixteen years old as of February, like me. I loved that we were born in the same month, something else that bonded us in my opinion. Toothless was retired from military work when he was twelve; there had been no choice because he couldn't pass the tests to prove he could still work. Toothless was slower now, his eyesight, hearing, and sense of smell were going. It hurt me because I knew Toothless probably didn't have long left.

I didn't need to take him to the vet to know all that. Astrid was a vet, and she told me when Toothless turned thirteen a couple months ago to start preparing to say goodbye because dogs tended to have, at the longest, a thirteen-year lifespan. I dreaded the thought of waking up one morning, or coming home from work and finding Toothless had passed on. However, somehow…Toothless has three years more than expected. I knew better than to hold hope for much longer, though. I made my way over to him; he still raised his head to greet me; I smiled lightly. "Hey, Toothless…How are you feeling today, bud?" I asked him. Toothless dropped his head; I knew he was getting weaker, and he didn't eat a lot anymore either. I didn't want to lose him. Stormfly whined a little; she was nine now. "I wouldn't forget about you, girl," I said, petting her. I focused on Toothless afterward; I sat in the grass near him as he struggled to move to lay his head on my lap.

"Babe, everyone is-," Astrid started and stopped. I knew it's because she found me sitting with Toothless; my dog had his head in my lap, I helped him do it.

"Is…Toothless…?" I hear Dagur ask.

"No, but his time is coming soon," Astrid revealed. I knew she was being quiet, but I could still hear them talking.

"I love you, bud," I told him as I did as often as I could; I felt tears in my eyes; I couldn't exactly help it. I've been with Toothless since he was two years old. I've had this dog for fourteen years, and the day he went…I was going to be a mess. I knew it would happen soon, but I prayed to every God and Goddess listening that it wouldn't be today. Not with everyone here, not outside. I want Toothless to go in the house, on his favorite bed in front of the fireplace; it was his favorite spot. I bent down and kissed forehead before getting up and petting Stormfly again; my back was to the others as I quickly wiped my eyes before facing them and smiling.

"Hey," I waved.

"Hi, son," Stoick smiled. I went to hug him and my mom, then Gobber, my aunt and uncle while Astrid greeted her parents. We switched after to greet our in-laws and friends.

"Well, let's get this started," Astrid said happily.

"Yes, absolutely. Snacks are on the table to your left and drinks are in the coolers. Uh…Green is alcohol, blue is water and soda, and the red is just for the kids; juice boxes," I informed.

"Yes, we have fruit punch and apple juice. I think some orange juice too," Astrid nodded.

"Always think of everything," Dagur said.

"We try," I chuckled while pressing the button for the music system. It was wired to the house, and outside speakers; all through Bluetooth. Hiccup was happy to be part of this; they all still tried to hang out at least twice a month at someone's house. Just a little picnic to catch up and keep the bonds strong. The kids loved to play together; and the oldest ones were Magne and Dagny, so they all played nice. The only ones not playing, except Ruffnut and Eret's youngest, who was only just learning to walk. But the child joined in for a fun game of rolling a boll on the ground. Also, the kids loved to play with the puppies.

Yes, Stormfly and Toothless had kids. A few litters over the years since Astrid and I got married; we've given the puppies away to good homes, but this last litter happened four years ago. Stormfly had six. Astrid and I gave away four of them and kept two. At the time, we thought Toothless was going to pass and wanted to keep at least one of his and Stormfly's offspring. We ended up keeping two because these two puppies couldn't be separated. One puppy, looked dead on like Toothless, all black, but with Stormfly's eyes. And then the sister had Stormfly's colors but Toothless's eyes. We've named them mini-versions of their parents. Toothy and Storm; Zephyr's idea and we couldn't say no to it. We'd have a piece of Stormfly and Toothless through their kids when they passed on. Stormfly wasn't doing too great either lately; Astrid and I wondered if it's because she sensed Toothless wasn't going to be with us much longer; we worried that when Toothless went, Stormfly might be right behind.

I tried not to think about such depressing things, but I couldn't help it. Neither could Astrid; we'd been trying to prepare the kids. Zephyr understood, but Nuffink was still young and didn't understand the full concept of death yet. But all that aside; this picnic was going good. I'd be starting the early dinner around 3:30 pm, for now; it was just snack-stuff. Right now; I'm just glad to be with everyone. I loved spending time with my family and friends; I was happier than I ever imagined I could be. All I saw was smiling faces around me, even Toothless and Stormfly in their old ages were trying to be active with the kids and their two that we held onto. It might have been little, but I saw the joy in our dogs' eyes and that, despite knowing we wouldn't have them much longer, made me feel all the better they were happy to their last days and had long, fulfilling lives with loving people. I guess that was some notion of comfort for the impending pain of goodbye.

"You're quiet today, babe," Astrid mentioned, standing behind me with her hands on my shoulders. I glanced up at her and smiled gently as she looked down into my eyes.

"Relaxed, for once," I joked because she and everyone knew how stressed out I could get.

"You look exhausted," Astrid rubbed my shoulders as I shrugged. "And here I thought I was the pregnant one,"

"You are," I laughed, and then I stopped, realizing what my wife just said. "Wait a minute," I shook my head, sitting forward and turning to face Astrid. "What did you just say?"

Astrid giggled a little; the one she did when she knew something that I didn't. "I said; _and here I thought I was the pregnant one_," Astrid repeated. My eyes scanned her figure, landing on her stomach.

"Y-You're pregnant?" I asked. Astrid nodded, smiling. "Wait, seriously?" I said again, getting to my feet now and standing before Astrid.

"Yes, I am," Astrid laughed some.

"Like…No joke? Astrid do not joke with me…Are you really, seriously pregnant again?" I stared at her.

"Hiccup, yes! I'm pregnant. Swear it on my life," Astrid held my hands. I pulled them free and lifted her up by the hips, swinging her around and then hugged her tightly. "That's…Great!" I paused again as something wasn't adding up. "B-But you…Got your period this month? How? When? Huh?" I asked, totally confused with widened eyes.

"I was only spotting, babe," Astrid admitted. "I assumed it was my period because I was tired, my boobs hurt, and the blood was light; I figured it had to be coming. But when I didn't see anything further; I decided to take a pregnancy test and it came up positive. I've…Already seen my doctor; I'm confirmed to be six weeks along as of today. I was going to tell you tomorrow on our anniversary, but I guess it just felt right to do it here with everyone over," she explained.

"So that's why you were late coming home on Thursday…You had the appointment," I said, realizing that it all made sense now.

"Why did you seem so surprised, son?" Valka asked. "Surely, you expected she could be if you were planning to have more?"

"Well, that was never decided on. Astrid I were thinking about having another one some time ago, but sort of left the idea alone when we thought Toothless turned thirteen and that he'd be leaving us soon. Then Stormfly had more puppies, Zeph broke her leg. I got busy with work, so did Hiccup…And yeah," Astrid shrugged. "We just kept putting the thought on the back-burner these past few years,"

"We were…Actually saving the talk for our anniversary tomorrow, but…" I smiled, holding his wife.

"Seems fate decided that we're having another one," Astrid stated, leaning into my arms. "But this is the last one," she remarked.

"Fine by me," I nodded. "Are you tying your tubes, or should I get the vasectomy?"

"I'll get my tubes tied; they can do it while I'm in the hospital after giving birth," Astrid informed.

"We'll be around to help you if you need it, sweetheart," Asvora said.

"Thanks, Mom," Astrid smiled.

"Us too," Stoick nodded. I completely forgot my dad retired from being mayor of Berk when he turned sixty-two, so he's been out of that job for two years now.

"We appreciate it," I nodded.

"Daddy! Why did you swing mommy around?" Zephyr asked with Nuffink beside her, holding his elder sister's hand.

I smiled, lifting them both up into my arms, but Astrid ended up taking Nuffink as we stood together as a family. "Because she told me something that made me excited,"

"What did mama tell you?" Nuffink inquired innocently.

"Mommy's having another baby," Hiccup told his two children.

"Really!?" Nuffink got a big grin on his face. "I won't be the littlest anymore! Yay!"

Astrid laughed a bit. "Yeah, but I'm still taller than you," Zephyr said to Nuffink, effectively making the youngest Haddock member right now pout.

"Buzzkill," Nuffink said.

"Nuffink Haddock! Where did you learn that from?" Astrid demanded.

"I woke up one night and heard daddy say it to you," Nuffink shrugged. Astrid glared at her husband.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third!" Astrid seethed.

"Hey now…I didn't know he was awake, Milady," I defended myself. "And Zeph, be nice. Your mother was taller than me for a while and then I became a teenager and now taller than her,"

"When is our new sibling going to be here?" Zephyr asked.

"About eight months, so…March?" Astrid smiled, relaxing a bit.

"Yay!" the two Haddock children cheered. Astrid and I set the kids down to go run off and play, or spread the news they were getting another baby in their family. Astrid returned to my arms and leaned comfortably.

"Well, we've been out of the newborn game for five years; think we can handle it?"

"As long as we're together," Astrid assured.

"There isn't anything we can't do," I replied as I kissed her deeply.

"Guess we have a reason to celebrate now," Dagur smiled.

"Yes we do," I agreed, sitting down and holding Astrid in my lap. While I sat here and watched everything; I couldn't help but think back to where it started. Way before Astrid and I even broke up or dated. My happiness started when Astrid and I became friends and then led into all of this. It was surreal to think that one friendship led to this moment right now in our lives. Astrid and I became friends, fell in love, started dating. For three years, it was perfect. My entire life was perfect. But as life goes; things often have to happen for bigger and better to come. I proposed to Astrid, and she said no, even if by accident and panic that she did. I left, and we didn't speak for two weeks. I joined the army and left when Astrid realized the mistake she made. For the eight years apart, through countless failed dates and semi-relationships; mine and Astrid's love for one another stayed strong and true.

We made it back to one another; got married, had two kids, and now a third and final on the way. My life was perfect, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. In a way; I'm glad things happened the way they did because it allowed me to make some new friends, and ultimately show me that I just can't live in a world without Astrid; the same was for her. Our time apart showed us that our love is true and meant to be. Our love stood the test of time, and it will continue to live on as long as we do. Until we take our last breaths; Astrid and I will be together, in love, in each other's lives.

**Author's Note;**___Here we are folks, the end of the story! No more chapters for it; this was the end point. I hope everyone enjoyed it and is looking forward to the next piece I do. I can tell you now that I'm going to be doing my Descendants Of The Archipelago Two story, and another one, but I won't reveal that just yet. See you all soon! -Nightstar._


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